


School Day's

by Archangelsings



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012), Rise of the Guardians RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Family, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe-Modern Setting, Anal Sex, Angst, Comfort, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, High School Drama, Hurt, M/M, Masturbation, No age gap, Rough Sex, Self-Harm
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-12-17
Updated: 2014-08-15
Packaged: 2017-11-21 08:42:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 14
Words: 52,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/595754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Archangelsings/pseuds/Archangelsings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Slow Build.R&R. Jackie.AU Jack(17) and Jamie(16) are junior's at Burgess City High. The two friends had nothing to worry about but their own angsty teenage lives of lust, love, and hate until one day Jamie's younger sister is found in a heap on the floor, Jack's older brother Ethan vanishes and the Guardian's fear the hand of Pitch is to blame...or maybe something worse...something...Ancient.</p><p>AND NOW AN EXERPT!!!</p><p>"Her dress billowed around her, her eyes closed. And the Earth fell away from her but she wasn't afraid. Not anymore. Because she wasn't Sophie Bennett. No. She opened her eyes. Her skin was brown, her dress was made of shifting vines and her hair billowed like a fiery halo around her.<br/>She was the Lady of the Deep.<br/>She was Gaea.<br/>And nothing could stop her now."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue- A Winter's Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takes Place 6 Year's before the main events of this story take place an AU world where Pitch has yet to strike with OC's to be revealed, both good and evil and neutral. EXPECT ALOT OF TWISTS AND TURNS! JamiexJack=Jackie fanfic :3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please Review :3 I like feedback

Ten year old Jamie Benett stood on the new neighbors porch, his parents by his side, his head bowed over a book, caramel hair covering his eyes, his nose just barely visible over the lip of the tome, his mind totally focused on the words in front of him. He wasn’t anti-social, though he might appear that way to some, he didn’t have a problem talking to others, he was actually a very animated person once you got to know him, but people didn’t. They didn’t want to know him, didn’t want to talk to him, to be around him, he’d been branded the outcast, the nerd, the weird obsessive kid with his outlandish beliefs about the supernatural and paranormal.

He didn’t mind though, at least that’s what he told himself, it gave him more time for his studies, his books, his fantasies…everything important to a kid right?

Jamie turned to the next page of his book, the paper crinkling slightly with the movement, and readjusted it in his arms with a light huff, his breath fogging in front of him while his mother rang the doorbell. She then turned to her husband and began fussing over their daughters winter coat, making sure it was just so, and pasting a fake smile on her lips as they waited in the cold. Jamie turned another page.

“Jamie, put that book away, you don’t want to appear rude.” She said without looking at him, her smile never leaving her face, her voice set to a happy and loving tone.

Jamie just grunted in response. What was the point? The likelihood that any of the neighbor’s kids would talk to him were slim, the chances that they’d stay around after he talked back were even slimmer and the odds that they’d become his friends?…Now that was virtually non existent. So why close his book? Why try when he’d just end up opening it up again after a minute.

“Jamie,” His mother repeated when she realized her son wasn’t listening to her, her voice still in that playfully happy tone, “I said close the boo-”

The door swung open and she let out a yelp of surprise. Before them stood a tall muscular teen, his piercing green eyes staring critically down at them, leaning against the doorframe like he owned the place...which technically he did…or at least his parents did.

“ ’Ello,” The Teen said, his voice a tad suspicious, in a slight Australian accent, “What’cha doin here?”

“U-uhm,” Jamie’s mom stuttered for a moment, her façade temporarily broken by the sight in front of her, the nearly six foot boy’s bulk was doing nothing to make him appear less intimidating, “We-we’re-”  
“We’re the Benett’s,” Her Husband said for her, speaking up for the first time, hoisting his daughter higher in his arms, “You’re next door neighbors, we-”  
“We just wanted to welcome you to the neighborhood,” His mother finished, finally regaining her composure, her smile back on her face, “I’m Victoria, though you can call me Vicky if you like, and this is my husband John, our daughter Sophie, and our son Jamie.” She said gesturing to each of them in turn.

The teen regarded each of them thoughtfully as they were introduced to him, shaking John’s hand, noting the man’s soft smile, one that was real unlike his wife’s forced fake one, absentmindedly playing with Sophie’s hands when she reached out to him, the whispered word Bunny, that fell from her lips burning into his mind.

Jamie glanced up at him, eyes flickering from the book in his soft olive hands to him and back again almost instantly, an innocent curiosity overcoming his features, a look not unlike the one the teen wore now, though without the critical edge, a question lying in his gaze, probably something like why he had a full head of dark gray hair so young. You could tell the kid was smart, the boy’s eyes screamed his intelligence, wit, and fiery need to know more just because he could. He had a feeling this boy would be a good counterpart for his impulsive younger brother, and a good friend…well if young Jamie could tolerate his brother’s antics.

Mrs. Benett cleared her throat and took a breath, moving a stray brown hair behind her ear, and asked, “And you are?”  
“Ethan…Ethan Aster Bunnymund Frost,” He replied turning to look at her again.

Jamie’s head shot up when he heard Ethan’s name, eyes wide with wonder, and asked, “Bunnymund…like the Easter bunny?”

Ethan looked back down at him, surprised the kid actually knew where his name came from, “Yeah.”  
Jamie grinned and closed his book (which Ethan noted was about mythological creatures of the Midwest) a frantic energy radiating out of him, “Cool!”

Ethan shook his head his lips twitching up into a small smile. Yep, he’d get along with his brother just fine.

“Did you know that the Easter Bunny lived in a grassy palace full of eggs and dye rivers and flowers that make stuff glossy and giant wooden egg wardens?!” Jamie exclaimed ecstatically.  
Ethan grinned back, “Yeah, though I heard that the wardens where actually made of stone, not wood, and he’s apparently pretty handy with a boomerang too.”  
Jamie beamed, hanging on every word he said like it was sacred, “Really?”  
“Yeah really…well…come on in, my mom will skin me if I don’t offer you guys something hot to drink.” He moved back inside and gestured for them to follow, Jamie more than willing to oblige.

“Mom! Dad! The neighbor’s are here!” Ethan yelled into the confines of the house before turning back to his guests, “Have a seat, I‘ll go get some refreshments.”  
“Okay, thank you,” Jamie’s mother said, taking off her coat and sitting down on one of the plush red couches in the room.

Ethan walked out of the room and Jamie looked around, his gaze taking in every detail he could, the dark cherry wood coffee table, the other plush chairs embezzled with florid designs, the brick fire place that gave a soft homey ambience to the room, the chestnut flooring and stone walls interspersed with wooden pillars and shelves making it seem almost other worldly. It was amazing.

“Whoa,” He breathed.  
“Pretty impressive isn’t it?” a voice said in his ear, a cold chill running down his back as it did so.  
Jamie nodded, “Ye-AH!”

He atepped back and slipped. Somehow a patch of ice had miraculously appeared…right behind him…inside a house…cause that’s totally normal. Jamie winced and rubbed his behind tenderly, before glaring up at the boy in front of him…who was currently laughing at him like his fall was the best thing since the coming of christ. 

Jerk.

“Thanks for helping me up, jerkwad,” Jamie huffed out, offended by the other boy’s actions.

“Jamie!” His mom scolded, “Be nice and apologize, that’s not how you talk to people.”  
“But he-”  
“No buts.”  
Jamie groaned and turned back to the boy, who’d been watching with an amused expression on his face, trying to hide his snickering but failing miserably.

“I’m sorry,” Jamie grumbled out, refusing to look the other boy in the eye, deciding to instead attempt to bore holes into his feet like staring at them hard enough would make them catch fire.

“It’s cool,” The kid said, grinning, his voice a little shaky from laughing, and picked up Jamie’s book which had fallen by his feet, dusting it off lightly with his hand.

He glanced at the title, another mischievous smile stretching his lips, and walked over to Jamie, holding the book out to him, “Here. I‘m Jack by the way.”

“Thanks,” He said taking the book from him, “Jamie.”  
“Nice to meetcha Jameson James Jamie Jayman the third,” Jack said flashing him another grin.

Jamie felt his mouth twitch with the start of a smile, yippee, the jerk had made a funny.  
“Just Jamie,” He replied, the traitor smile tugging harder at his lips.

Jack moved closer and tapped him on the nose, chuckling to himself, “Okay,” He winked and took a step back, “I’m glad I got you to smile, you look a lot better with one on.”

Jamie blinked in surprise and looked up at the boy, really looked at him, breath catching in his throat. He was his age, maybe a year older…and startlingly beautiful. Jack was absolutely stunning. All of his features screamed soft and delicate, his messy seemingly windblown snow white hair framed his elegant face, his lips thin, tainted a faint frostbitten blue, stuck in a virtually perpetual half smile, his pale ivory skin that seemed almost transparent, his slender almost anorexic physique…yet he still radiated the strength and hardness of masculinity, with the strong set of his jaw, the hardness of his calves, the firmness that could be seen through his entire body, his nose, the cold almost deadly aura that surrounded him, and…his eyes, his wonderfully blue eyes, eyes the purest blue imaginable, eyes that shown with mirth and mischief, eyes that made his cold presence seem warm, trustworthy, comforting even.

He was like the winter.

Beautiful.

Dangerous.

Kind.

Unforgiving.

He was Jack Frost.

Jamie gulped, and felt his cheeks grow warm at the compliment, clutching his book closer to his chest, “T-thanks.”

Jack grinned and asked, “What were you reading about?”  
“Jack Frost.”  
He laughed, “No kidding?”  
Jamie just nodded.

Jack made a face, “Come on, follow me, Ethan’s taking to long, let’s see what he’s doing.” He grabbed Jamie’s wrist and he resisted the urge to flinch at his touch. He was cold, almost like ice.

Jack smiled sadly at him, and let go, “Sorry…I-I run colder than most.”  
Jamie cleared his throat, feeling the need to comfort the boy, “It’s okay…I can sometimes run hotter than most, if that’s any help…”  
Jack laughed, “That’s called a fever Jamie.”  
“Hey, I know that!” Jamie said falling prey to Jack’s infectious smile and grinning back, “I was just saying…cause…blah never mind.”

Jack said nothing more and put a finger to his lips, tiptoeing lightly, a wicked grin on his face as they approached the kitchen. Ethan stood in the middle of it, whistling some tune, headphones in his ears, mixing three cups of what smelled like hot chocolate. Jack’s wicked smile grew wider still and he reached into his pocket, slowly drawing a snowball from it…how it was still compact and not melting all over the floor was beyond Jamie, and took aim.

Jamie’s eyes widened, “Jack!” He whispered harshly, “What are you doing?!”  
“Shh, just watch.” He replied, eyes focused on his target, tongue sticking out slightly.  
“Ready,” Jack whispered, “Aim….FIRE!”

He threw the snowball just as Ethan turned with the tray of drinks in his hand, landing it squarely on his face. Ethan let out a muffled yelp and stumbled back, slipping on another mystery sheet of ice (really was there a crack in this house somewhere? How’d ice keep appearing on the floor?), throwing the tray of drinks behind him in the process, and landing with a loud crash.

Ethan wiped the snow off his face, looking dazedly around the room for a moment before his eyes settled on the two boys in the doorway, “Jack!”

Jack grinned and grabbed Jamie’s wrist again, “Come on! He’s mad now. The Easter Kangaroo’s gonna be after us.”

Jamie stumbled after him, almost slipping up the stairs to the second level of the house, hanging on to Jack like his life depended on it. The kid was fast, like devilishly so. Jack paused, looked left then right, then dove into the room closest to him, dragging Jamie in with him, only then letting him go.

“What’d you do that for?!” Jamie exclaimed, “He’s going to kill us!”  
Jack looked at him for a moment with a really do you have to ask look on his face, “Cause it was funny,” He grinned, “You have to admit it was funny.”  
Jamie stopped his tirade, his mouth opening and closing for a moment with no sound, before he started laughing, “O-o-okay, so it was hilarious, and awesome, but s-still-” He managed between breaths stopping when he noticed there was another person in the room.

“Who’s that?”  
“Sandy.”  
“What?”  
“His name’s Sandy.”  
Jamie just looked at him, “You’re kidding.”  
“Yes, yes I am,” Jack grinned at him, “His real name is Samuel, but we all call him Sandy, he’s my younger brother.”  
“Hi,” Jamie said to him, “Why didn’t you tell us you were in here?”

Sandy looked up at Jack, his eyes telling him to answer for him.

“Sam, can’t talk, he’s mute.” Jack said ruffling his brother’s sand colored hair, making it stick up everywhere, “Don’t tell Aster we were in here okay?”

Sandy nodded and pointed at the door, his way of saying get out.

Jack raised his hands in surrender and reached behind him for the doorknob, opening it and dragging Jamie out again, only to bump right into Ethan.

“There you two are,” Ethan glared down at them, “Come on our parents want us in the living room, you too Sandy.”

Sandy nodded and walked calmly out the door, while Ethan grabbed Jack and Jamie by their shirt collars and hoisted them into his arms like they weighed nothing. The dude was strong to say the least.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Jamie sat next to his dad, Sophie crawling over to sit with Ethan, pulling at his hair and whispering Bunny, every two seconds. Jamie didn’t even try to figure that one out, his sister was just weird, blonde and spacey. He’d been introduced to the other three members of the family, the mother Mrs. Frost, who apparently everyone called Tooth, was a children’s dentist and currently working downtown for a small independent practice, she had long flowing red hair highlighted with purple and green and wore an emerald green dress that made her hair look like it was on fire, the father, Norman Frost, was the one who made all the furniture in the house and owned a toy shop not far from where his wife worked on Main Street, he had a Russian accent that was as thick as his white beard and blue eyes like Jack’s but no where near as pretty. Finally there was little Titania, who like her mother had red hair, but lacked the highlights and had deep violet eyes. Rare color right?

All in all they where an average family, Jack and Sandy would be attending the same school as Jamie(much to his satisfaction), Ethan would be going to the high school next door(he‘d found out he was fifteen and a sophomore), and little Titania would be in the daycare with Sophie. And now with all that known to him, and the parents now idly chit chatting with each other, he was…bored.

Jamie let out a sigh and opened his book, about to continue reading about the winter spirit Jack Frost, when Jack tapped him on the shoulder, “Let’s get out of here.” 

Jamie nodded, surprised that the white haired boy still was talking to him and followed him out the front door, Jack just pulling the hood of his blue hoody over his head.

Once outside Jack stretched and sighed, breathing in the winter air deeply, “Ah, that’s much better, I was getting really bored in there.”  
“Aren’t you cold?” Jamie asked, zipping up his winter coat and pulling his gloves on.  
“Nope, I’d totally run around out here naked if I was allowed.”  
Jamie laughed, “You’re joking.”  
Jack grinned, “Nope.”

The two walked aimlessly for awhile, Jack telling him about all the places he’d been, Australia, Russia, England, Greece, all the fun adventures he’d had, and pranks he’d pulled, and Jamie would tell him all about the myths he knew, his searches for the paranormal, the things that other kids would shy away from him for. 

But Jack didn’t.

He just grinned and listened, adding his own two cents in every once and awhile, making him feel…well…normal, wanted.

And he felt his fondness for the happy go lucky albino grow with every passing second.

Eventually they stopped at the neighborhood park, Jack swinging lazily back and forth on a swing, Jamie sitting in the snow next to him reading from his book, shouting out little tidbits of information he found interesting or weird or cool or goofy to him. They fell into a companionable silence, not in the least awkward, it felt like the two had been friends for ages.

Jamie looked up when he heard voices that weren’t Jack. It was Cupcake and her gang of “friends”. Jamie groaned and tried to make himself invisible, but knew that nothing was going to happen.

“Hello Jamie,” Cupcake said menacingly, to him as she walked over, completely ignoring the white haired boy on the swing, “What’cha reading?”

Jamie didn’t respond, maybe if he didn’t her idiot brain would think he’d walked away.

“Aw come on Jamie don’t be like that,” She snatched the book from his hand.  
“Hey!” Jamie exclaimed jumping up and trying to grab it back.  
“’Mythical Creatures of the MidWest Volume One’” She read the title aloud.

Jamie had to resist the urge to say he was surprised she could even read those words, that would only get him pummeled into the snow

“Cool book, I think I’ll keep it.”

Jamie said nothing but Jack cleared his throat. The group turned to look at him, Cupcake just registering his existence. Jack looked down at them an amused smile on his lips and jumped off the swing, landing lightly in front of her, Jamie noted he wasn’t wearing shoes.

“Now now, tutu princess, I really think you aught to give Jamie back his book, it’s not very nice to take things that arent yours you know,” Jack said, playfully bowing to her as if she were royalty. Only Jamie noticed him grab some snow to make a snowball,“Can’t we all just get along?”

Jack shot up and threw a snowball at Cupcakes face. Jamie stood shell shocked, thoughts of omg she’s going to kill us running through his mind. The snow fell off her face and silence ensued, no one could believe the albino kid had done that. Didn’t he know who Cupcake was? She was the baddest thing on the playground, you didn’t mess with her, you did what she told you.

She blinked and Jamie’s book fell to the ground, the tension rising steadily. Then the scariest thing happened.

She smiled.

“SNOWBALL FIGHT!” She yelled grinning like an idiot and chucking some snow at Jack.

Jamie’s jaw dropped, “…Did she just say…?”  
Jack grinned at him, “Yep, now come on, we got a fort to make!”

Jamie nodded and grabbed his book, ducking as a snowball wizzed past his face. The park erupted into chaos, more kid’s joining in, shaky alliances forming, war breaking out. Snowballs flew everywhere, kids fell left and right, the air almost hazy with the flurry around them. In the end only two factions remained, Cupcake’s Unicorn Brigade, and Jack and Jamie‘s, Frost Monkeys. Jack stood behind their fort dishing out snowballs at an almost inhuman speed, Sandy (who had decided to join them halfway through the game), pressed back to back with Jamie, both of them with two snowballs in each hand. Sweat fell down his face, and he glanced critically at the circle of children around them, evil victorious smiles on their faces. 

“There’s no where to go Jamie, give up now and we may let you live,” Cupcake said threateningly.  
“Never!” Jamie cried out, Sandy nodding in agreement, “To the death! I shall not fall until the last snowball is gone!”  
“Fine suit yourself,” Cupcake turned to her lackies, “FIRE!”

The group threw their snowballs at them, Sandy ducking under the flurry, launching two snowballs with deadly precision at two of Cupcake’s friends, Antonio and Jessica falling to his aim.

Jamie felt Sandy duck and moved to follow but it was too late, he was struck in the back of the head and he stumbled forward, blindly throwing his four snowballs in the direction of his enemies, two of them managing to connect with them. At least he took someone out with him.

That left three, Cupcake, Jackson, and Lydia, each grinning wickedly, each with a snowball in hand. They felt victory, it was close, Sandy had no more ammo, he was cornered. It was over.

But it wasn’t.

The three had forgotten a certain white haired albino.

Jack Frost.

“Haha!” He whooped hanging upside down from the tree above them, arms full of snowballs, legs hanging on to the branch with an iron grip and he smiled down at them, “We win.”

Then he dropped them all on their heads.

Jamie whooped in victory from his spot on the ground and grinned up at Jack who flipped out of the tree, landing on his feet with ease.

He reached out a hand to help him up.

“Thanks,” Jamie said as he brushed the snow off his coat and pants, then he looked at Jack and grinned widely at him.  
“That. Was. AWESOME! The way you just popped out of that tree and was all like ‘We win’ was just like epic! Did you see their faces?! It was so classic and amazing and superb and,” Jamie sighed, “We totally have to do that again.”  
Jack grinned, “Definitely.”

Sandy stomped on the snow and the two boys turned to look at him. He tapped his wrist and nudged his head in the direction of home. It was time to go.

Jack sighed, “Well, I guess it’s time to go, Sandy’s getting antsy, see you tomorrow?”  
Jamie nodded ecstatically, “For sure.”  
Jack smiled, “Great, see ya’ then.”

Then the two brother’s walked away. Jamie just stood there basking in the warm afterglow of finally getting a friend.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Jack hummed quietly to himself as he unlocked the door to his house, Sandy following in after him. He hadn’t expected himself to actually like the neighbor’s kid, Jamie as much as he did. It was actually kind of frightening, the overwhelming need to protect the kid, guard him, be his friend…and he didn’t know why. Jack closed the door behind Sandy and pulled his hood off his face, calling a slight wind and floating gently to the living room, Sandy following suit on his cloud of dream sand. Ah that was much better. He really didn’t like walking all that much but hey, that was the downside to living with mortals, you always had to watch what you do, what you say, watch you’re emotions, never stray to far from your center, lest your powers run wild.

It was hard not to, and Jack knew he was going to get an earful from his dad Norman…or rather North as he was really called in the Guardian world, when he finally talked to him, for his pranks, the little ice slips, and the snowball incident. He’d really tried to resist the temptation to use his powers, but it was just soooooo fun, the things he could do with them. The pranks he could pull. He didn’t think Jamie suspected anything, no matter how smart the kid was or how much he believed in Santa, or the Tooth Fairy, or the Easter Bunny, or the Sandman…or even Jack Frost, he’d never believe that they were living right next door.

Jack floated into the living room and was caught by the hood of his sweater by his father.

“There you are! Sandy has to get ready to release the dreams, what would we have done if he was late?!”  
Jack scoffed, “We weren’t going to be late, we were just having some fun.”  
“A magically induced snowball fight is not ‘fun’ Jack, that’s abuse of your gifts,” His mother said walking into the room, her wings fluttering quickly behind her.  
“Hey! They were picking on Jamie…I couldn’t just sit there and let that happen.”  
“There are other ways to deal with conflict Jack, mortal methods, methods that don’t involve magic, or ice.”  
Jack huffed at that, “So you’d rather me have punched the girl?”  
“No Jack that-”  
“Then what would you have had me do? Huh?” He said starting to get angry.  
“Talk it out, make peace with compromise, tha-”  
“That method never works mom. Especially with testosterone high pre pubescent girls in tutu‘s.”

His mother sighed and turned to her husband, he eyes telling him to take over.

“Jack,” He said opting to speak in Russian instead of his broken English. Oh no it was serious, “You are the reason we moved from Australia, your antics where blowing out cover. You must learn to follow the rules, you must gain discipline, you cant fall prey to your emotions…especially if you want to ever become a-”

“A Guardian? Like all of you?” He gestured to his family, answering his father in Russian as well, “And lose my nights and day’s to helping little children’s dreams come true? No thanks. Besides, we should all just accept it, I’m never going to be a guardian, the Man on the Moon is never going to choose me, I mean all of you, even little Titania, have gone through your test, found your center’s gotten you’re title’s except for me. And all of you got it before the age of five. I’m eleven now! Eleven! I should’ve gotten it by now…whatever, you all have fun, I’m going to bed.”

“Jack! Wait!” His mom called out to him but he ignored her, a blast of cold air in his wake, thoughts of a certain weird caramel haired neighbor in his head.


	2. Red Haze

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Uh....read it? I DONT DO SPOILERS!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please Review :3 I like feedback

Shouts traveled through the picture perfect home, bouncing off the pale orange walls, up the photo decorated stairway, through the closed white doors, loud and angry, shrill and furious, amplified as if through a microphone. But this was nothing new to the Benett household, oh no, it had been building for years, all the tensions, the anxieties, the spiteful words and hateful looks, all of it. It had all been for this moment, for this climax, this boiling point, this point of no return. It had arrived, the cord had snapped; Pandora’s box had been opened.

A crash sounded from below like a firecracker, the sound strong and direct, the edges able to make a point when the woman could not. The plate shattered on the wall, a symbol of their broken world, their broken family, the broken woman. Most fell to the tiled floor, only to break further until no hope rested for it to ever be repaired. The man stood still, not moving to stop the bleeding on his face or to remove the shard that had embedded itself in his cheek. It remained there, a painful reminder of the pain he’d caused.

A young man lay in his bed, a young lady stood in front of her bathroom mirror, the boy trying to block out the chaos below with his own labored breathing, his gangly form hanging off the edge, toes curled, legs twitching, breath hitching, chocolate brown eyes closed, shaggy caramel hair strewn haphazardly over his face, mouth hanging slightly open. The girl stood, light illuminating her head, slightly bowed, her blonde hair creating a curtain that her green sorrow filled eyes hid behind, her mouth set in a stoic line . Sweat glistened off the boys olive toned skin, the girl’s matching hands shook as she grasped the razor beside her, the boy moaned in pleasure, the girl gasped in pain. 

Slice!

Another cut.

Another shatter.

Another flick of the wrist.

Slice!

The boy shifted his weight and bit his lip, biting back another moan as his hand deftly stroked himself, his mind finally able to escape the yellers, his parents, to another place, a better place, a pleasurable place, a place that filled the pit of his stomach with arousal, of ecstasy, a place filled with his unrequited love, Jack Frost.

Slice!

The girl, made another sure cut, the underside of her arm covered in blood, old and new, scar’s and scabs re-opened by her steady hand, the hand of someone who had nothing yet everything to lose. Her face had finally lost its complacent look, an emotion finally surfacing, unlocked by the kiss of the blade.

Slice!

The lady below screamed and tossed another plate at the man, this one bouncing off his chest without so much as disturbing a hair on his head, shattering against the tiles below. He took a step forward, the woman took a step back. He moved closer still, reaching up to his face and yanking the ceramic shard from his cheek, his body barely registering the pain as he approached the woman he once loved.

Flick! 

Jack’s cold hands ran down his body, the touch soft and sure, familiar and welcome, caressing every point he could reach, eliciting high pitched breaths from Jamie’s lips.

“Jamie,” He whispered before leaning down to kiss him.

Flick! 

Sophie set the razor door and stared at her arms, her blood running down the sides of the sink, splattering parts of the floor, the bottom of the mirror…it looked like a murder scene, and in a way it was, it was the murder of her innocence.

Flick! 

“Vicky,” The man whispered reaching out to grab his wifes hand, “I’m sorry.”

And then he began to cry.

Crash!

Jack pressed his body closer to Jamie’s, their chests glued together, hearts beating as one, Jamie’s hands running through his lover’s hair, making the white mess even more haphazard than usual, their pelvis’s grinding lazily together as the kiss deepened to a fiery climax, a clash for dominance and tongues.

Crash!

Sophie turned the water on in the sink and watched as her blood drained away, the water devouring it with merciless proficiency, and picked up a towel to wipe off the floor and mirror. Once finished she turned off the water and glanced at the sink.

There was still blood.

She was still bleeding.

Crash!

The final plate fell from her hand and she reached out tentatively for the man her heart longed for, to comfort him, to let him know that everything was all right, just like she would back in high school. But he wouldn’t allow this, he pushed her away, crying about how sorry he was, crying about how he hadn’t been here for them, blaming himself for both of their mistakes. She backed away, she didn’t know what to do, so she grabbed a broom and began to sweep the evidence away.

Slice!

Sophie felt her vision darken and she reached for the doorknob of the bathroom. She wasn’t going to make it. She felt the ground give way beneath her and rush up towards her face.

“Bunny,” She whispered, the last thing she said before her world was clothed in darkness.

Flick!

Jamie felt the tightening in his stomach, felt his body clenching, his toes curling, his breathing become even more labored than before, he was close, really, really, really, close. He stroked himself faster, pumping his fist over his dick frantically, and shoved his fist in his mouth, biting back the moan that escaped his lips as he came, the sticky liquid covering his hand, his mind a buzz with ecstasy.

Crash!

Mrs. Benett swept the last of the broken plates into the trash and turned to her husband. Her fingers twitched at her sides as she debated what to do, her eyes betraying her need to protect once more, but she pushed it aside. There were no words left to be said.

“Let’s go to bed, we have work in the morning.”

John, her husband, just nodded and shakily got to his feet, following his wife out of the kitchen, turning off the last of the lights as he did so.

Slice!

Flick!

Crash!

The sounds of the Benett household, the sounds of a family broken, the sounds of the depressed, the sounds contained in the façade of a picture perfect home. 

 

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Seventeen year old Jack Frost lay in his bed…or rather, tried to keep from falling out of it as his slender form tossed and turned, trying, to no avail, to get comfortable. He sighed, it was impossible. He was antsy. Restless. Pent-up, and he didn’t know why. To make it worse it wasn’t his usual jumpy, excitable, nervous energy that he could dispel with a simple fly around town or a quick jog around the track or a spontaneous magically induced snowball fight and it was infuriating. His mom always said never to ignore feelings that strayed from what they normally felt; Jack couldn’t see how in the world he possibly could, it felt like his anxiety was eating him from the inside out. They weren’t like normal humans, sudden anger, or sadness, or anxiety, or happiness always meant something to them. Meant that something was going to happen to them.

Or those they cared about…

Like Jamie.

Jack jumped off his bed, unable to lay there anymore, his anxiety growing and growing. Why had Jamie popped into his head? Like a beacon of light in the darkness he was the only thing he could think about now; like a virus he had infected his mind.

Was something going on at the Benett house?

Was something happening to Jamie?

Jack bit his lip and glanced at his window then his clock. It was ten thirty. Jamie would be asleep but…

Jack sighed and grabbed his sweater from his chair. He was just going to do a quick recon, prove to himself that nothing was wrong, then turn around and go to bed. Yep, for sure. He had a history test on the American Revolution tomorrow, he needed his beauty sleep.

Jack threw open his window, the cold winter air instantly calming and rejuvenating him, then jumped. For a moment nothing happened, just the sensation of free fall, then the winds caught him, like the gentle hand of a father, and suddenly he was staring at the moon, large and bright, the clouds below him.

He was flying.

He grinned, and whooped, yet again calling the winds to him, manipulating them into pathways for somersaults and dives, yelling in pure unrivaled joy as he flew in his element, his true home.

His cold.

To Fly.

To be free.

Jack stopped himself and glanced back down at the Earth, knowing he had to return to it’s surface, yet again giving up his purest form of joy. But he had an obligation and it was to Jamie, he had to make sure he was okay.

He sighed and whispered, “Take me to Jamie’s house.”

The wind responded instantly and pulled him towards his destination, through the clouds, past the trees, past the sky scrapers, back down to the earth, back to his Jamie.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Jack peeked through Jamie’s window, as he suspected he was asleep, but something urged him to investigate further. Something still just didn’t feel right. He really shouldn’t but…

Ah what the heck.

He was here already.

Jack floated down to the ground and took out a snow globe, there was no way in heck he was going to test his phasing abilities on Jamie’s wall and get stuck, that would just be embarrassing, and awkward, and he really didn’t want to try and explain away that one. He didn’t, couldn’t, trust that his powers would let him phase completely through the walls even if it was still winter and they were at their peak; they still had a tendency to go screwy, especially that one.

So instead snow globe travel it was, even though his target was only a yard away. He sighed, if only he had his center. He wouldn’t have to worry about that anymore.

He shook the snow globe in his hand and threw it in the air, “Take me inside Jamie’s house.”

The air imploded in front of him in a vacuum of white snow. It was weird seeing the inside of the house he’d been in so many times over the years…the house that was right next to him, able to look through a window and see the exact same scene projected in the spiral’s depths. It was freaky. And déjà vu like.

Jack shivered, not from the cold, but the strange un realness that was his life, and stepped through the portal.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Immediately Jack knew something was wrong. The air turned thick, a strange red haze seemed to permeate through the building. It instantly threw him off, sudden anger bubbling from some un known pit. He had to scream, he had to punch something, blow something up, throw ice at the world, just let out this uncontrollable anger…but he couldn’t. No. He was on a mission. Simply find out what was wrong then get out.

Besides, he was too weak for anything else.

Whatever that haze was, was draining him of his power.

And fast.

He moved with caution. Edgy. Antsy. Even more so than before. Room after room he checked. The kitchen. The living room. The flex room. The den. The study. The guest room. Nothing.

Jack floated…well hovered with a lot of falling…up the stairs to the next floor. Even his flying, the skill that came to him like breathing, wasn’t working right with this insatiable thrum of anger everywhere.

And it was just getting worse the further he went.

He paused at the top of the stairs to catch his breath, fighting off black spots his vision. It was scary he actually felt…cold. Oh god. He felt the cold. For the first time ever in his life he was cold. 

He began to speed up, knowing he didn’t have to check the parent’s room…where the angry energy was strongest and made his way to the two rooms that held the Benett children. Jamie’s was safe…actually it was a haven in the house, somehow the anger hadn’t seeped into his room, his door a barrier, one he gratefully basked in. He sighed. Jamie stirred. Jack moved on.

All that was left was Sophie.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Feeling refreshed, and somehow less susceptible to the effects of the red haze he approached Sophie’s room. He felt the effect’s of the red haze dampen here too, but for a completely different reason. 

It felt like death had latched onto her.

He gulped.

His heart pounded

He grabbed the knob. His hand’s shook. Breath hitched.

And opened the door it.

The smell of blood hit him at once. It was the first thing he noticed…well beside’s Sophie who was laying in a pool of blood.

Wait.

Sophie was in blood?

What the heck?

He rushed forward, a blast of cold air carrying him over to the unconscious girl, and kneeled down before her.

“Sophie!” He hissed, “Sophie! Come on kiddo, wake up!”

No answer. Of course there wouldn’t be an answer. The girl was out like a light. Who wouldn’t be with all that blood around them? Her blood. Blood that was hers.

Crap.

Ok, what could he do? All he knew how to do was freeze things, and that definitely wasn’t going to help. Man, he wished he paid more attention to health class in ninth grade. At the time he had found it useless. He wasn’t human. Not really. He didn’t get sick, usual medical practices did nothing for him, so why pay attention to some dumb health class. His dad’s words echoed in his mind pay attention to everything, ignore nothing, you never know when you’ll need to use it. How right he had been.

Jack ran a shaky hand through his white hair, wracking his brain for any possible tidbit that might’ve stuck. 

Pulse.

Check the pulse.

He placed two fingers, his middle and pointer like he‘d been taught, on the young girl’s neck, moving her blood stained hair to the side, and felt around her neck for a throb, a stutter, anything that would signify she was alive. Ah! There it was. He found it. Faint and weak but there. 

But it wouldn’t be there long.

The girl was dying.

And he didn’t know what to do now. 

Sophie was still bleeding, he figured that he aught to stop that, but he didn’t know how, this was out of his league now. Jack pulled out his cell phone, now glad he had got one even though his mom and dad had found it pointless and distracting, and dialed the one other number that was in it besides Jamie’s. His brother Ethan.

The Easter Bunny. The Guardian of Hope.

“ ‘Ello?” His brother answered after the fifth ring. He had started to lose his accent after six years of living in Burgess, Michigan, “Kinda busy at the moment, gotta bring Easter to the South Pol-”  
“Sophie’s dying,” Jack said cutting him off, “She’s bleeding everywhere and-and I have no idea what I’m doing.”

Ethan went silent.

“Aster?” Jack asked, and checked to make sure the call was still connected.  
“A‘ight, we’re on our way. I’m guessing you’re in Sophie’s room?”  
He nodded even though his brother couldn’t see, “Yeah.”  
“Got it.” Ethan hung up.

Jack got up and began to pace around the room. What would’ve happened if he hadn’t listened to his gut like he’d been trying to do earlier? Would Sophie have died for real then? He shivered at the thought.

A hole opened up in the floor beside him and out popped Ethan, Sandy, North, Tooth, and little Titania.

“Sophie!” Titania gasped out rushing towards her bleeding friend.

The rest of the family crowded around her, his dad inspecting her with a critical eye, his mom whispering soothing words even though she couldn’t hear…though that might have been more for Titania’s benefit then hers, Ethan standing behind them looking shell shocked. That’s right…Aster had a soft spot for the little girl.

“Can you help her?” Jack managed after a minute of relative silence.  
His dad ran a hand through his white beard thoughtfully before responding in a thick Russian accent, “I think so.”

He let out a sigh of relief and felt the tension in the room ease up.

Tooth stopped saying calming things and stood up to talk to him, “How’d you know?”  
“I-I just got anxious was all…” He said awkwardly rubbing the back of his head.  
“I see,” She looked back at the others, “Well I’m glad you came, and called Ethan. You go get some sleep, we’ve got this.”

Jack nodded, suddenly feeling very tired, oh so very tired, not even caring that once again he was being kicked out of the thick of things by his family. Because they were Guardians. Because this was Guardian only business now. Because he was the “normal” one in the family. He just took a snow globe out of his dad’s coat pocket and warped back home.

Ah to be human.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: ANNNND SCENE! (Not really! don't worry there's more to come) So hope you enjoyed it! The angsty/hurt/ comfort drama begins! And in case you didnt understand, as a Guardian in training Jack doesnt have full control of his powers which is why they sometimes go "screwy" as he mentioned. Also i shall reiterate that Jack is now 17, Jamie is 16, Sophie is 12, Ethan is 21, and little Titania is 12. Soooo yeah THAT'S THE OFFICIALLY THE FIRST CHAPTER! Wonder what the Red Haze is? Well keep reading and you'll find out! Also I DO NOT CONDONE CUTTERS! I can understand teh mentality to want to do so, but i don't approve of it, please don't think i do just because i made Sophie one (which i hope you don't mind), she's trying to find an outlet for her depression and well that's how she did. I hope that wasn't too much. So if you feel the need to cut yourself PLEASE TALK TO SOMEONE YOU COULD REALLY HURT YOURSELF (as you saw with Sophie) ANYWAY 2ND CHAPTER WILL BE OUT MAYB LATER THIS WEEK! And we'll finally have a reason for the title of this fic and have a "School Day" lol anyway
> 
> AS ALWAYS PLEASE REVIEW FAV FOLLOW CHECK OUT MY OTHER FICS INVITE ME TO A03 IF YOU FEEL SO INCLINED FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER AT Archangelsings!


	3. Purple Haze

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ......yEAH Uh read it if you want to know what its about :3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No editor still sorry bout OOCness but it works for the storyline i think anyone wanna edit it i will love u forever~
> 
> Please Review :3 I like feedback

Being a Guardian sucked.

Jack frowned. Okay so technically he wasn’t a full fledged Guardian, more like an apprentice…though that technically wasn’t true either since he’d never really heard of an apprentice Guardian, but, if such a title did exist he’d definitely have it. 

He sighed, maybe he should just stick with Jack Frost: Physical Manifestation of Winter and all things Cold in the Material World…especially Slushies. Cause you know, slushies are just godly. Anyway, that wasn’t so bad right? At least it was a long title…well longer than Jack Frost: Guardian of…of…of what? Red noses? Snowball fights?…Frostbite? Cause that would totally get him brownie points in the love department.

Yeah, he was liking the first one more and more.

“-ack? Jack!” Someone snapped a finger in his face. It was Jamie…OH! Right! Jamie!.. They’d been talking right?

“Wha-what?” He said snapping to attention, a sudden cold breeze washing over them in his surprise. Jamie shivered; stupid uncontrollable powers.

Jamie shook his head and rubbed his temples with a sigh, “You weren’t even listening were you?”  
Jack grinned, “Nope.”  
“I’d say ‘Get your head out of the clouds Frost‘, just because it’s a nice change for you to be the space case and not me, but I’m not one for petty little shows of equal exchange.”  
“What’s that from, psychology?”  
Jamie smiled, his awkwardly adorable toothy one, “Nope, government.”  
Jack scoffed, “Weird.”  
“Not really, having a basic understanding of human mental functions goes a long way in deciding campaign strategies.”  
“Let’s just hope you never figure me out then.”

A wicked smile played at the corners of Jamie’s lips, “I already have.”  
“Oh really now,” Jack crossed his arms, a joking smile on his face, and waved his hand in a mock royal gesture, “Why do tell me what you’ve concluded, oh great and powerful Jamie James Jayman Jason the Third.”  
He laughed, “You changed the nickname.”  
“Gotta keep it fresh, can’t use the same prank er… nickname, twice, be too predictable, ya know?”  
“Hmm,” He agreed, “still not telling you though.”  
“Fine.”

Jack leaned back in his seat and stretched his gangly form under the table, crystal blue eyes looking to the sky, a half smile forever plastered on his face, as the table lapsed back into a companionable silence. Jamie yawned and bent back over his books, books that were strewn open all over the table, papers and post-its sticking out of many of them, books, Jack noted, that for once seemed to be all school related, calculus, physics, government, and…was that text all in latin? Jack shook his head; he didn’t know how Jamie did it, seven classes, all AP’s by the way, student council, first violin in orchestra, and somehow he still managed to find time for MMO’s, Bigfoot hunts and of course keeping/getting Jack out of the worse of the trouble he’d inevitably find himself in. It was amazing…amazingly scary at times…but amazing still.

How the heck had he ended up with the school’s genius as his best friend?

Jamie pursed his lips and adjusted the glasses, square framed, a dark almost black green, classy and modern, sexy and sophisticated, on his face, his shaggy caramel hair sticking up in random places. Jack grinned, he’d helped pick them out…or rather, he stopped Jamie from making an utter fool of himself by buying the purple and yellow zebra print frames, and forced him to buy the ones he now wore on his face. And he looked great, so you know what? Brownie points for Jack.

“What’re you thinking about?” Jamie asked not looking up from the problem he was working on, Jack had glanced at and instantly looked away, all those symbols looked like greek to him…which granted, Jamie could read and speak as well. Little genius.

“Nothing.”  
“Lies. You weren’t smiling earlier and you always smile, I don’t have to be a genius to know you’ve got something big on your mind, so tell me…what’s up?”  
“I told you, nothing,” He mumbled turning to look up at the sky again.  
Jamie sighed and finally looked up at him, brushing his hair out of his face, he really aught to get it cut, it was getting obnoxious to deal with, “Jack, don’t make me psycho-analyze you, you know I’ll do it,” He tapped his chin thoughtfully, “Left Cupcake crying for three weeks if I remember correctly…but at least she’d made a breakthrough…”

Jack shivered at the memory, two years ago, at a moment when Jack hadn’t been around to stave her off (he suspected she had a crush on him and that‘s why she‘d always listen to him) and word of Jamie’s genius had begun to spread, she’d made it her personal duty to antagonize him over what a big nerd he was, knocking his books to the ground, kicking them into trash cans, breaking Jamie’s glasses (since at that time he had begun to wear them…Jack guessed it was because he spent too much time trying to read in the dark), pulling at his too big shirt (cause he was still a stick at the time), and then to top it off punched him in the face. It was awful. But Jamie didn’t even fight back, he didn’t even flinch, he just started to pick up his books, wipe the blood off his face, and talk. Not punch her back…just talk.

And it was amazing.

No one understood what has happening for a moment, what the little kid was rambling about until Cupcake started to freak out. Like hulk bad. Some people thought she was going to kill him. She went ballistic, pushed him to the floor, tears streaming down her face, and began punching him again and again, but still he just talked. He drew up every bad memory she had, guessing, from years of observance, why she was the way she was, why she hated him so much, where her jealousy came from, everything. In the end she was left, a crying heap on the floor, whispering how sorry she was to everyone she’d hurt over the years, and Jamie had just picked up his glasses and walked away.

It was only when he found Jack that he had begun to cry.

He had never wanted to kill someone as much as he did at that moment.

Jack sighed, “I’m just worried about the History test I have next period.”  
Jamie squinted at him and Jack fidgeted under his gaze, he hated that calculating look of his that seemed like he was reading into his soul, “You’re lying, you never worry about school you‘re the one who‘s always laughing at me for studying and trying to get me to go on some stupid sleigh ride or pull some prank on Ethan,” He stated simply, “But I’ll leave it alone since you obviously don’t want to tell me.”

The bell rang and Jamie jumped to his feet, packing up his things, his mouth set in a thin line, his movements quick and jerky. 

“I’ll see you after seventh,” He said quickly before storming off and leaving Jack alone in the cold he couldn’t feel.

Damn.

He’d hurt his feelings. 

Poor innocent little Jamie’s feelings.

He felt like a douche.

But what else could he do? He couldn’t tell him what was really on his mind. How the heck was he supposed to tell him that he’d found his sister’s bloody body on the floor of her room, cut wounds all over her arms, almost dead, in the middle of the night. How was he supposed to brooch that topic? He couldn’t. Not to mention he had the added complication of explaining, how the heck had he gotten into his house. Why in the world was he in his house at ten thirty at night in the first place. Why hadn’t he woken up Jamie’s family instead of calling his own. None of that could be explained without revealing who he really was, and he couldn’t, didn’t, want to lie to Jamie. Not because he’d see through his lie in three seconds, though that was definitely part of it, but because he didn’t want to hurt him more with only half truths. It was all or nothing. 

And that was not allowed.

Jack sighed and began to walk towards his next class. Freaking history, stupid Mrs. Sanders. Couldn’t she and her subject just implode off the face of the earth? He had bigger problems to worry about than whether or not George Washington was the general of the American forces and adopted father of French nobleman Lafayette…which by the way he was. Yep he had more important things to do, teenage things, Guardian things, Jamie things.

Mrs. Sanders would kill him if she ever heard him say that.

Luckily she loves Jamie, so her wrath hast been dampened by thine love.

Yeah, being a Guardian sucked.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Titania stared at the paper in front of her, utterly confused, as if it was written in another language, but it was just a math worksheet. Her brow scrunched in thought, her red hair, now with the purple streak of an official tooth fairy, hanging like a fiery curtain blocking her from the rest of the world. Math was her thing. Math she was good at. These were the same type of problems that they’d been doing the day before. 

So why couldn’t she remember how to do them anymore?

“Hello? Hello! Tanya,” Sophie whispered tapping her shoulder.

Ah, yes Sophie, that’s what the problem was. She now had the weight of knowing that her friend stood in her room and cut her arms to shreds. Looking back on it now, she hated that she hadn’t seen it sooner, it was obvious when you knew to look for it. The fact she stopped wearing short sleeved shirts and would flinch any time someone touched her arms were dead giveaways.

“Yes?” She answered, a tad venomously. She winced as the word left her mouth, feeling bad that her tone had come out so negatively, her anger at herself being taken out on Sophie. She was a Guardian, she was supposed to protect children not make them sad or angry. She was above those base human emotions, “I mean, yes?”  
“Do you get this?” Sophie asked gesturing to the paper in front of her.  
“Uhm,” She glanced at the paper…it still looked like Chinese, “I-I really should but, I can’t right now.”  
“Oh…are you having one of uhm…those days?”  
“Uh…yeah.”  
Sophie patted her arm comfortingly, blonde curls bobbing up and down, “It’s okay, I just started mine too…its soooooo uncomfortable. It makes me want to like punch everything that moves.”

Titania looked at her confusion written on her face, “Wait…what?”  
Sophie glanced left and right before whispering, “It’s okay…I got my first period today too.”  
“Oh…OH!” Tanya exclaimed as realization dawned on her face, “Oh god! Oh no, that’s not what-, you know- uhm, it’s just my uh learning issue acting up.”  
Sophie turned red, “O-oh, of course…f-forget I said anything.”  
“Yeah…okay…”

The two fell silent again, Sophie biting her lip while she tried to figure out how to do the problem while Titania tried to slow down her thoughts enough for her to focus and unscramble the symbols. After a few minutes Sophie turned back to her.

“So what’s on your mind?”  
“Nothing.”  
“Liar, I know it’s something, you only get like this when you’re worrying too much about something, so spill, girl’s honor I won’t tell.”

Tanya shot a look at the expectant girl, what in the world was she going to say to get out of this one?

“Oh! Oh! Is it Brian? It is isn’t it. I hear he has the hots for you, you totes should go for it,” Sophie squealed, “He’s a hottie.”

Titania made a face. That numbskull had the hots for her? Oh god, she was doomed. And poor Sophie, was she really so dense to be that smitten by his looks?

“Oh gosh no, Brian is an idiot, I’m not going for that at all, never in a million years.”  
Sophie pouted, “Oh well then…what is it if not boys?”  
“Uhm…” She bit her lip, should she lie? She’d really hate to bu-

Tell the truth

Tanya almost jumped out of her seat, where had that voice come from? Grandfather Moon?

Tell her the truth, the voice repeated again.

She took a deep breath, “Okay okay,” She mumbled.

“What?”  
“Nothing, uhm,” She took a breath, she really really didn’t want to do this.

Tell her.

“Uhm?” Sophie asked waving her hand in a, go on continue, gesture.  
“I know about what you did last night,” Tanya rushed out.  
“What?”  
“The…cutting…”

Sophie went pale, sub consciously pulling her sleeves higher up on her wrists, when she spoke her voice was dangerously calm, the kind of calm before a storm,“How.”

“I-I saw you through your window, you know my room is right across from yours.” 

Ok so she lied…but she told her that she knew about the cutting, that was the important part right? It was okay to flub the rest of the story wasn’t it?

Sophie turned and got out of her seat white as a sheet, walking like the dead out of the room, ignoring the teachers calls, the shine of a razor in her hand.

 

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Jamie was mad. No make that livid. Or better yet furious. Stupid Jack. Stupid, stupid, stupid Jack. It hurt him that Jack wouldn’t let him help him, wouldn’t tell him what was on his mind. That he wouldn’t let him in, tell him what was making him, the king of fun and jokes, sad. He wanted to know. He wanted to be the one that Jack would come to. The one he’d cry on, the one he’d want to comfort him. But that wouldn’t happen would it? Jack wasn’t like him. He was just the white albino’s friend, nothing more, nothing less.

And never would be.

Jamie sighed. That was the real reason he was angry. He was mad at himself for loving his best friend, for wanting him in a way deeper than friendship. Why couldn’t he just make the feelings go away? It shouldn’t be this hard, he’d managed to push the anger and sadness he felt at his parents crumbling relationship away. He managed it then he why not now? 

Jamie stared harder at the paper in front of him, gripping his pencil so hard he thought it might break, trying to drown himself in the latin in front of him. Trying to dull the pain through work. Cause that’s what he did to forget.

He made himself so busy that there was no time to remember.

The pain wasn’t so bad when all you had the strength to do was sleep.

It had worked for him so far.

People who saw him probably didn’t think anything of it. They’d just see him as the genius straight A student. The paragon of the erudite. The kid that all the parents wanted their children to be like. How blind they were not to see, not to see all of it was just a façade, the façade of a poor hurt boy. A boy who just wanted to be normal. He had no will to be extraordinary, it’s why he never skipped any grades. He didn’t want to put himself in the spotlight, he was content with the background. It was impossible though. Colleges wanted him. Like Ivy League status. They didn’t care about his age, they just knew he’d aced the SAT in the ninth grade, and took virtually all AP’s, passing their stupid tests with perfect scores, all the while having an IQ that was off the charts.

It was impossible to stay invisible like that.

But he couldn’t help it. He had to keep himself busy. He had to stay packed to the limit with work or else he’d drown. Drown in his pain and his sorrow and end up doing something beyond stupid, like….killing himself?

Ah, wouldn’t that just be like a statistic. The tortured artist. The honors child who strived too hard to be the image of perfection while on the inside they were eaten alive.

The person that was just like him.

Jamie sighed, the bell had rung. It was time to go to the weekly student council meeting, they where going to be discussing plans for the winter formal in two weeks. Themes, games, prizes, all that good stuff. Yippee.

Time to continue drowning.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Titania ran after Sophie, ran as fast as she could, wishing the whole while that she was allowed to fly. But no, the Guardians couldn’t be allowed to reveal themselves to the masses. 

She was really tempted to break that rule now though.

Turn. Turn. Turn. Up. Down. Left. Right. Bathroom after bathroom, empty, empty, empty. Where had she run too? 

Anxiety ate at her insides as she ran to the final bathroom…if she had cut herself again…She didn’t want to think about that. The pain would be too great.

“Sophie!” She yelled throwing the door open, “Sophie don’t-”

She stopped mid sentence, the scene in front of her was a little too surprising. Ethan was there…in the girls bathroom, holding Sophie’s wrists apart. Sophie stood even whiter than before if that was possible, Ethan’s expression hard and determined.

“Sophie…drop it.”

With shaky hands, she let go of the razor. It clattered to the floor with a clang made much louder by the tension in the room.

“You know too?” Her voice quivered, “All of you do…does my brother? My parents?”  
“Only us, your family doesn’t know any of this.”

Sophie visably slumped with relief.

“Yet.” Ethan finished.

She tensed again.

“Are you going to tell them?” She wasn’t looking at him, her voice barely a whisper, fear written all over it.

Ethan opened his mouth, about to speak but Tanya cut him off.

“No.”

Ethan shot her a surprised look, and she just shook her head, they didn’t need her tipping over the edge. If everyone found out at once she might just kill herself from the shame. Better not tell her parents yet and monitor her themselves.

“Really?” She asked risking a glance up.  
Ethan sighed, and nodded, “Yeah.” He shot Tanya an answering look. It said, you better know what you’re doing.

“Oh god, oh god, oh god,” Her legs began to give way and it was only because Aster was holding her that she didn’t collapse, “You must think I’m a freak.”

Ethan’s gaze softened at the broken girls voice and pulled her close, “’Course we don’t Soph, just promise you won’t ever do that again.”

Sophie nodded into his shirt, her body wracked with tears unable to say anything else.

Titania cleared her throat after a few minutes of awkward crying and comforting, “Well we better get back to class, well I’ll take Sophie to the main office, I think she’s done for the day, and you need to get out of here before they think you’re a pedophile trying to rape us.”

And of course watch Sophie when she goes home, was the unspoken message she sent.

Ethan nodded, “Okay.”

He gently pulled away from Sophie and coaxed her over to Tanya. She put an arm around her friend.

“Come on let’s go.”

Sophie nodded glumly and followed out the bathroom. Tanya only remembered then, that she had no idea how her brother had gotten in there in the first place without being detected. She’d definitely have to ask about that later. She sighed.

They were in for a tough couple of weeks.

They walked arm in arm, Tanya oblivious to the purple haze that covered the air Sophie walked. She just knew of her friends deep resounding pain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so now i have time to sit down and write a proper one of these lol okay:
> 
> 1) I forgot to mention this in the last chapter...honestly i kinda forgot he existed...definitely gonna put him in the next one but Sandy/Sam is 14 years old atm
> 
> 2) Sorry bout how depressing Jamie is, his character came out a little darker...well...alot darker than i intended but thats just how he wants to be :3 I am but the scribe that chronicles the world they live in lol. WHICH REMINDS ME Again! Sorry if anyone felt Jamie was too out of character, but please do remember that A) this is an alternate Universe B) His character in this fic is meant to be the antithesis of Jacks aka the level headed slightly more mature/responsible one and C) People do change when they grow up...so thats my justification as to why he is the way he is...hope its enough of an explaination for those who don't agree with my Jamie to accept it and not wana rip off my face XD causeilovemyjamieiwasreallyf reakedouthonestlycausehesalo tlikemealmosthadtostopwritin gcauseitwastoomuchlikemylife
> 
> 3) Uhm yeah this chapter...it came out darker than i'd expected, i honestly hadnt expected Jamie's part to be so darn dark and depressing, but i blame the last couple days, it's been rough for me, so i let it out subconsciously through my writing ^^;
> 
> 4) I hope you enjoy the story and will keep eagerly awaiting updates! As always please review, follow, fav, share etc follow me on twitter at ArchangelSings if anyone chars or add me on youtube at childofmaka or my tumblr which is ArchangelSings...(I think...I'd have to check) or add me on skype if you so feel at :3
> 
> 5) ANYONE FROM AO3 WHO LIKES THIS AND IS FEELING GENEROUS PLEASE INVITE ME OVER I REALLY REALLY REALLY WANNA BE ABLE TO POST STUFF ON THERE D; my email is tsukin if anyone wants to contact me that way.
> 
> SO YEAH THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO'VE REVIEWED, FAVED, FOLLOWED, AND SUPPORTED ME SO FAR! I LOVE YOU ALL! YOUR COMMENTS ARE WHAT INSPIRE ME TO WRITE! THE OVERWHELMING POSITIVE RESPONSE IS JUST SOOO UNEXPECTED I WAS WORRIED ABOUT HOW PEOPLE WOULD ACCEPT MY DARK VIEW OF ROTG AND JACKIE (JACK/JAMIE=JACKIE PASS IT ON CAUSE IMA CALL IT THAT FROM NOW ON) AND NOW I KNOW THAT PEOPLE LIKE MY DEMENTED MIND AND IM JUST SO HAPPY! ALSO IF ANYONE LIKES STEREK/TEEN WOLF I HAVE ANOTHER FIC WITH THEM! yeah im done now


	4. Black Haze

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please Review :3 I like feedback

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-  
Jamie sighed and fidgeted in his seat, his eyes glancing up at the clock in the corner of the room. Thirty minutes had passed. Thirty. And nothing had been finalized. Still. It was ridiculous, they’d been talking in circles for virtually the entire council meeting, one, he might mention, didn’t even start on time to begin with. At this rate they were going to have to call yet another “gathering of the elite student minds”, aka the student council (why the principle gave them that title was beyond Jamie, the fact that they were still talking about themes for the dance, something, he might add was supposed to be decided a week ago, really didn’t seem to scream elite in his opinion), tomorrow and Jamie really didn’t want to waste anymore time on this trivial matter. It was a dance for god’s sake. A stupid, insignificant, high school dance that in ten years won’t even matter to the ones arguing about it now. Jamie let out another dejected sigh.

How’d he get stuck in this mess?

Oh that’s right…he just had to keep busy. Wow did Karma have a way to come back and bite you in the butt…though if karma really did exist Jamie had yet to make certain…he’d experiment with that concept later, right after he found Bigfoot. Was it really such a bad thing to not want to have to think about your personal life more than twice a day?

Karma seemed to think so cause this council felt like the equivalent to hell. 

Or at least hell to a socially awkward genius who, in the end, everyone expected to make the final decision.

Which apparently was now if the sudden quiet and turning of heads was anything to go by.

Crap…er…fudge, the part of the council meeting he hated most, public speaking. Cue the awkward flustered genius…now.

Jamie cleared his throat, simultaneously re-adjusting the glasses on his face, pulling at the collar of his shirt, suddenly really really glad he hadn’t cut his bangs like his mother begged him to, letting them fall over his eyes until they were almost completely hidden, putting his shaking hands in his lap and clenching them to stop their infernal clamor. Why did they always have to pick him? Couldn’t they see how uncomfortable he was? That was usually a heavy deterrent in picking someone to speak in classes. 

Apparently that rule didn’t apply here. 

He took a deep breath and licked his lips before beginning to speak.

“Well..,” He began biting his lip, mind working in overdrive. This situation was more delicate than most realized. If he made a decision that chose one of the two options, then that would lead to disunity amongst the members, pitting them against one another and thus making future decision making even more difficult. The best course of action would be to make a compromise or toss out a third option under the guise of something new but in reality was just a fancy name for the combination of the two options, since blatant compromise was obviously not working. Yes that’s what he’d do. Come up with a “third” option and hope that his status would be enough to keep them from questioning his decision.

 

“Uhm…I say we make a…uh,” He glanced around the room, it was the home of the drama class so it was covered in all sorts of props and different odds and ends, such as swords, masks, fake blood packages…wait…masks…that was it, a Nutcracker Masquerade. “Nutcracker Masquerade.”

It was perfect. It merged both the themes of the winter wonderland and the darker Ice Castle theme that the other side wanted, by adding a layer of mystery with the masks, plus it enabled him to add a spin that Jamie liked…everyone had to dress up as a winter spirit or character from the Nutcracker.

Jamie waited and bit his lip nervously, his right leg bouncing uncontrollably under the table, as looks where cast about the room, quiet murmuring going between the peers. Finally one of the members, Mason, a Greek exchange student from Athens spoke up on the others behalf.

“How are we gonna pull off this ’Nutcracker Masquerade’? We need numbers, this sounds kinda expensive, and we don’t have enough time to throw another fundraiser, not when we’re so close as to the deadline; you haven’t mentioned any games, music themes, dress code, catering etc,” Mason spoke with a low baritone, his voice direct and no nonsense, everyone respected him and his work ethic. Jamie was the brains, the behind the scenes man, Mason was the outside charisma, the speaker, the one who got all the credit even if they knew who was really charge. Together they made up the heart and soul of the council President and Vice President. Headstrong and shy.

Jamie used to be intimidated by Mason with his tall, dark, broody body of steel looks but lately he’s managed to actually talk to him without shaking in his seat. He calmed his beating heart and sat a little straighter, Mason was one of the only people he actually wanted to take him seriously.

“We can ask the drama department to temporarily convert the props from last years musical into an Ice castle, my mother has an old fog machine from back when we put on our blocks haunted house, we can add some glitter to some Halloween webbing and call that snow and get a bubble blower to make more snow rain down from the balcony assuming we’ll be hosting this in the gym,” He paused and sent a look at the others, waiting for objections, before taking another breath, counting on his fingers as he went through the list of questions, “The music theme will be gothic dubstep/techno mood lighting is required, the food can be catered by whoever’s willing to donate…I’m sure I can write a persuasive enough paper to get someone to agree to give us free food,” Jamie took a breath his last finger going down as his favorite part of the idea was spoken, “And the dress code…everyone has to wear a mask, as the title Nutcracker Masquerade suggests, and dress up as a winter spirit or character from the Nutcracker.”

Mason nodded, his face contorted with thought, “We’ll need help if we’re going to pull this off, any ideas on how to do that?”

Jamie tapped the corner of his before replying slowly, thinking as he went, “We have a volunteer sign up, the first fifty get two free tickets to the dance, that added with us and the drama department should be enough people for set up correct?”

Mason drummed his fingers on the table in front of him and Jamie resisted the urge to bite his lip, trying to keep his professional and serious demeanor in check waiting for him to come to a conclusion, “Yes…now if everyone agree’s, we can call it a day.” 

He looked around the room and waited for the murmured replies of yes to fill the room.

“Well then, that settles it, meeting adjourned, Jamie, I’ll expect you to email a detailed report of you’re plan to me and the rest of the cabinet along with a breakdown of responsibilities by nine o clock, understood.”

Jamie nodded and packed up his things, before hurrying out the door to meet Jack, more than happy to put distance between himself and the council room.

Wait…he was still mad at that snowy haired jerk.

Gah, his life sucked.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Sophie sat in the nurses office waiting for her father to come and pick her up. Titania had already explained the situation without giving away her cutting, saying she was feeling dizzy and light headed, probably from when she had thrown a basketball at Sophie’s head during P.E on accident. It was believable enough, she already looked pale as a sheet and when the nurse tried talking to her she found that Sophie couldn’t focus on a word she was saying, being forced to repeat everything two, three, four times or more. Everything pointed to a concussion.

But of course that wasn’t the case.

Sophie was really just in emotional shock. Her entire being slowly shutting down as the weight of the afternoon took its hold on her. She thought she’d been careful. She thought there was no way that anyone could possibly know, but she was wrong, people did know, her best friend knew, and the one she loved the most knew. What could he possibly think of her now? He said he didn’t think any less of her, but how couldn’t he? Being a cutter wasn’t something you could be proud of, the shame of being caught was bad enough, the shame of being caught by the one you cared about most was destroying.

And it just made her want to cut more.

She groaned from where she lay on the bed, curling in on herself as the thoughts spread through her mind, thoughts of blood and razors and pain and finally rest. Thoughts of the pleasant burn that went through her body as her hot blood stemmed from the wounds. There was nothing quiet like the cut.

Nothing else relieved her stress like it did.

Nothing else opened the gates of her emotions like her razor did.

Her true friend.

Her only comfort.

Her destroyer.

“Are you okay dear?” The nurse asked walking over to where she lay, concern written all over her face.

Sophie nodded, and bit her lip, the pain at not being able to cut was worse than the actual act. Why the heck was that?

“I just need to sleep is all.”  
“Well okay dear, I’ll wake you up when you’re dad comes.”  
Sophie nodded again, half smiling to herself at the incompetence of the school nurse. If she really had been suffering from a concussion the last thing she should do was go to sleep, but considering she was just pretending it was perfectly fine. So she closed her eyes and the comforting embrace of sleep take away her pains.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Jack leaned against the wall, tapping his foot lightly on its base and whistling softly to himself, blue eyes sparkling with mischief, as he waited for the student council meeting to end. Or rather the gathering of extremely pompous dickwads who thought they where better than everyone and everything at this school. Yes that was a much more fitting title. He really aught to spray paint that one on the door one day, wouldn’t that be a riot?…Of course he’d probably end up suspended and needing Jamie to intervene on his behalf but you know what? Who cares. Those kids really needed to get their elitist heads out of their asses.

Well besides Jamie of course. 

Cause Jamie could do no wrong, not in Jack’s eyes.

Anyone who could deal with him as long as Jamie had was an angel to him.

Finally people began to walk out of the room and Jack straightened up, a smile already on his face as he looked for his friend. He spotted him almost instantly and began to walk over, his heart warming up at the sight of his awkward friend’s stiff, contained nervous gestures…

Wait…he only did that when he was talking to someone.

Who was he talking to?

Jack began to walk closer, the crowd growing as thin as his mouth as he approached the pair, a strange bubble of protective emotion bubbling inside of him. Who was that tall dark Adonis that spoke to his little Jamie…

No, not his Jamie…just Jamie.

Cause Jamie wasn’t a possession, he was a person, he couldn’t own him.

“-did good today,” The tall dark haired boy said to Jamie.  
“T-thanks,” He stumbled over his words, cheeks growing a little red at the compliment.

Jack ground his teeth together at the sight, was that boy flirting-wait…was that Mason? Since when were those two so chummy? Was it because they were President and Vice President, cause last time he checked Jamie was scared shitless of that boy, definitely not on blushing status.

Mason glanced up, his eyes locking with Jack’s, a sly devilish smile passing across his face, one that screamed of bad things to come.

Things that would be aimed at Jamie.

Like hell he’d let that happen.

“I still expect that report by nine, better not dilly dally,” He said resting a hand on Jamie’s shoulder, who jumped at the sudden contact. Was it a flinch of surprise?

Or was it something more?

Jack closed the distance between them, and draped an arm over Jamie’s shoulder, subtly knocking off Mason’s hand.

“Finally Jamie, I’ve been waiting for the better part of an hour for you,” He said a smile in his voice and on his lips, a deadly glare in his eyes.

“You know you didn’t have to,” Jamie responded glancing up at him, a small smile playing at his lips, one that looked strained like he was trying to resist doing so…oh right Jamie was mad at him, how could he have forgotten?  
“I would have perfectly understood if you had decided to actually do homework in a, I don’t know, library perchance, you know actually using your time productively for once, instead of standing around whistling to yourself.”  
Jack grinned, “You heard that?”  
“Nope didn’t have to, it’s all you ever do when you’re bored.”  
“You know me so well Jayman.”  
“I know.”  
“Well then you must know that we have to go find Sandy and get home.”  
“Uhm yeah sure, just a minute, I have to finish talking about the dance with Mason…fyi it’s gonna be a Nutcracker Masquerade.” Jamie said, playfully whispering the last part in Jack’s ear.

Jack gulped, that same strange anger bubbling up in him as before. Mason. That boy screamed bad news. Ugh, calm down Jack…why the heck was he reacting like this? It didn’t make any sense.

“Well can’t it wait,” Jack semi begged, “you all have skypes don’t you?”  
Jamie tapped a finger to his chin, “We do actually but sti-”

Jack cut him off by kissing Jamie’s cheek lightly.

It was chaste and playful but it effectively managed to wipe whatever coherent thought might have remained in Jamie’s head.

“Come on, just skype him.” Jack said, softer this time, unsure of what just happened. He had acted on impulse. A sudden impulse to protect his friend(which was actually kinda funny since Jamie was now both taller and more muscular than he was…how that happened he had no idea, just one day he looked up and boom giant…of course his personality kinda made you forget that unless you were right next to him; genetics…what a wonderful thing)…cause that’s all they were right? Friends? It wasn’t like this was the first kiss shared between them. Jack often times would randomly grab Jamie and kiss his cheek or hug him tight. It was just how he was. It was his nature. He was a touchy person. Especially with the first person to be his friend. 

So why did he feel like he’d crossed some sort of unspoken boundary? A boundary into something more than that. Much more. But the thing was…

He didn’t care.

“U-uhm, okay,” Jamie managed after a few botched attempts of speech, “I-I’ll see you later, Mason.”

Jamie pulled the hood of his coat over his head and began to walk away, Jack not too far behind, a satisfied smirk on his face, an angry glare on Mason’s.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Okay. What. The. Fuck. Just. Happened? If it wasn’t for the fact that Jamie was so distraught and well…mind fucked, he‘d have cared about the fact that he‘d just thought a curse…twice, and have probably reprimanded himself severely…but not right now, not with his mind fried, his senses on overload. You can’t blame him for being the way he was right now, he still couldn’t believe that Jack did that to him. If it wasn’t for the look of horror that crossed Mason’s face he would’ve been sure he was dreaming. He barely dared to even think the words as they popped into his head, lest the moment turn out to be false.

Jack kissed him.

He’d really, really kissed him.

Okay, so not really a kiss kiss, but still his lips touched his face and now he was going to flip out like a girl.

Did this mean Jack liked him too?

Did this mean Jack was like him?

Cause Jack had definitely been jealous of Mason, for what reason Jamie would never know, Mason was just someone he respected, not someone he was crushing on…wait did that mean Jack knew that he was…different? That he liked, dare he say it…men? Or more specifically white haired, blue eyed albino’s of about five eleven?

Oh god, perish the thought.

But his lips had felt so nice, oh so nice, his cold, cold lips, and their feather light touch against cheek like the whispering wind in the forest during winter. 

It had been perfect.

And it left him wanting more.

Jamie sighed. He was so screwed. Smooth move on Jack’s part, he had been trying to control his raging hormones, and had been doing a pretty good job of it until this happened. What if the kiss didn’t mean anything? What if it was just Jack being Jack? How could he know for sure?

He couldn’t, not without asking him directly.

And there was no way he was going to risk that.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

A gentle shake of her shoulder brought Sophie back to reality.

“Mmm?” She mumbled stretching and looking up at the person in front of her, “Dad? What are you doing here? School doesn’t start till seven.”  
Her father sighed, his graying brown hair falling over his face in a very Jamie like manner…the two had very similar quirks, “You’re at school dear, it’s only two.”  
“Oh,” She mumbled looking around.

That’s right, school. She wasn’t home. Not yet. She wasn’t able to delude herself into thinking that Titania and Ethan never found out.

Her dad picked her up with a slight grunt, she was much to big for this now, but he was willing to let his daughter indulge in childhood comforts on occasion.

“Come on then, let’s get you home,” He grabbed her bag, slinging it over his shoulder, signing his daughter out as he went and walked to his car. 

He set her down in the backseat and walked to the drivers side, starting the car up in silence. Sophie looked out the window, it wouldn’t take long to get home. No more than five minutes by car, but she really didn’t want to go there. Not right now. Not with everything going on in her head.

“What’s wrong Sophie?”  
She snapped to attention, “What?”  
“I know you don’t have a concussion, I’m a nurse I know what those look like, you’re just being you when you’re…depressed.”  
Sophie squirmed in her seat, of course her dad would see through the lie, he was nurse. Couldn’t anything go her way today?

“Nothing,” She murmured.  
“Really? Cause I could take you back to school if you’re okay.”  
Sophie flinched, “Now you’re being like mom.”

Her father stiffened at the comment before responding coolly, “Your mother was always too harsh on you two.”

The car lapsed back into silence.

The conversation was over.

“Can we go pick up Jamie?” She blurted out.  
“That’s in two and a half hours honey, we’re not going to loiter around the school that long.”  
“Ok uhm can we go to Mr. Frost’s toy store?”  
“No.”  
“What about-”  
“No, we’re going home Soph, okay?”  
Sophie sighed, “Okay…”

She turned her attention back to the window and bit her lip. How wonderfully insensitive her father was. Didn’t he know that when children beg to do things it’s because what they’ve suggested is too uncomfortable to them? Home. Is. Not. An. Option.

“I don’t want to go home…,” Sophie whispered, “ Not right now…can’t it wait for a little bit? All you two do is argue…”

Her father turned the mirror to look back at her. His heart broke at the sight of his daughter so distraught, so uncomfortable, so hurt. 

And it was because of them. 

The parents.

The ones that were supposed to lead and protect their children.

He gripped the wheel tighter, he’d have to talk to Vicky about this later. Unless they changed it was going to have to end. They were hurting their children, even if they tried to hide it, they knew what was going on and it hurt them.

They were going to have to divorce.

Her father sighed, a block away from their house, “Fine, we can go loiter for Jamie.”  
Sophie broke into a relieved smile, “Thank you dad.”  
“Of course Soph, of course.”

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Ethan stared down at the little red car that held Sophie and her father, watching critically for any sign of discomfort. He had sensed a spike in her emotion’s earlier and had rushed over only to find that she’d gone to sleep. Now she sat with her father (who was currently pulling an illegal U-turn) going someplace that wasn’t their home. Aster sighed. And opened up his hand, blowing gently into it, silvery dust falling out of it, the wind carrying it to the child he prized the most. 

Ethan was the Guardian of Hope. 

So he’d help the only way he knew how.

He’d give her hope.

And what cancels hope?

Fear.

Ethan glanced over his shoulder, a feeling of unease bubbling in his core. The roof was empty of everything but shadow. He shrugged and turned around again, replacing the boomerangs he’d subconsciously taken from his holders, about to use his bunny hole to go home when suddenly black sand erupted from behind him.

Aster whirled around, bringing his hands up to protect himself, unsure of what the black sand was and unable to defend himself against it as he was engulfed in shadow.

A tall dark figure with shark like teeth and hair the color of pitch slowly emerged from the shadows.

“Hope is over-rated little bunny, I think what she needs is a good dose of fear.”

Ethan struggled in his binds, unable to talk, unable to do anything but watch as a black haze engulfed, his hope. Ethan’s eyes widened in shock.

“I wonder what Sophie will do now with her little bunny out of the picture.” The shadowy man said, “Perhaps something…deadly.”

Ethan shook even harder in his binds, he couldn’t let this freak…whoever he was…hurt Sophie. Whatever that black stuff was couldn’t be good.

“Tssk tssk, poor Ethan, you want to help the poor child, you want to fulfill your duty, don’t worry, I won’t let you, that’s right, no more Hope for the children, consider yourself…relieved of your position.” 

And with a wave of his hand the sand tightened it’s grip on Ethan, sand either realized was like Sandy’s, how the heck could that be? Dragging him down, down down through the Earth to some god forsaken place he couldn’t imagine.

“Don’t worry,” The man grinned devilishly down at him, “Everyone will miss you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N PT2
> 
> Ok sooo yeah that's the end of chapter three. So lets get a few things out of the way shall we?
> 
> 1) SORRY I LIED! SANDY WAS ONLY MENTIONED IN THIS CHAPTER D; the story took a turn I wasn't expecting, namely the kidnapping of Ethan/ the appearance of Pitch. That originally wasn't supposed to happen until later but…it just felt right to put it here
> 
> *PS: In this story Ethan, Sandy, Jack and Titania don't know about Pitch. Their Parent's never told them about him thinking that he wasn't a threat anymore. Just in case you all were wondering. That will be explained in more detail in the next chapter, but I figured you all might wanna know now.
> 
> 2) I hope you enjoyed mild fluffy Jackie moment? Maybe something gonna start up next chapter huh huh? Excited? I bet lol
> 
> 3) Nutcracker Masquerade…who else would totally go to that dance lol? I know I would.
> 
> 4) Phew…now I just gotta figure out how to tie in the kidnapping with the other un-Guardian related things I have planned.
> 
> 5) SO I GOT IT OUT BY SUNDAY AS PROMISED though again IM SORRY I LIED ABOUT FRIDAY…it just wasn't flowing then, couldn't figure out what to write until yesterday so yeah you can expect another update by Wednsday :3
> 
> SO AS ALWAYS I HOPE YOU ENJOYED! AND PLEASE REVIEW, FOLLOW FAV, IDK does it feel like it's moving too fast? Or is it okay? FEED BACK PEEPS FEEDBACK! THEY KEEP ME GOING! Honestly, more reviews=faster updates…sad but true lol
> 
> JACKIE 4EVER ßPASS IT ON!


	5. Winter Angst

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> uhm read please? It's an update lol NO SPOILERS!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: OMG SORRY FOR THE WAIT BUT HERE IT IS THE NEW CHAPTERRRRR! I HOPE YOU ALL LIKE IT! I WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE FAVED, FOLLOWED, REVIEWED, TWEETED, DA'D WHATEVER IT IS ABOUT THIS FIC! I LOVE THE LOVE AND OF COURSE A SPECIAL SHOUTOUT TO FIREKAT WHO SO WONDERFULLY BETA'D THIS FOR ME! THANKS KAT! (btw i loved your lil side comments HILARIOUS) and omg i totes didnt realize i was doing that "great, 'afdsfa'" thing instead of "great. 'adfsfsdfa'" lol AND AUGHT AND OUGHT ty and PETE'S SAKE lol i feel so dumb for that one lol ANYWAY THANKS AGAIN AND NOW FOR YOUR VIEWING PLEASURE CHAP 4...WELL OFFICIALLY ITS 5 BUT ITS FOUR CAUSE THE FIRST IS A PROLOGUE!

Sandy waited on the front steps of the school, his worn messenger bag slung over his slight shoulder. His foot tapped agitatedly on the cracked pavement, his arms crossed over the absolutely hideous gamer tee that Jamie had bought him for his last birthday (he couldn’t say no to that kid), an irritated expression painted on his face. Sandy pursed his lips and glanced at the horizon, watching the sun set over it, slowly illuminating the land in a brilliant display of pinks, reds, and oranges. Pssh. More like a ticking time bomb waiting to blow up in his face. 

 

You’d think Jack would know not to dilly dally by now. It’s not as if ten years hadn’t passed since his duty as Sandman, Guardian of Dreams, began; Jack ought to know how seriously he takes his job. 

 

Unlike a certain family member who has yet to get his Guardianship.

 

Just because Jack wasn’t a Guardian didn’t mean he could just fun off everyone else’s time. It was infuriating how that boy would waltz around life without a care in the world while he -- and the other Guardians -- were busy traveling the globe spreading hope, wonder, memories, and, of course, dreams to all! It was very serious business! Very serious business indeed, his job, and, at least in his opinion, it was the most important out of all of them… and the most grueling. He was the only one who twenty four hours a day, three hundred sixty five days (sixty six during leap years… he hated those) a year had to bring the “calming joys” and “innovation of youth” to the hearts of children everywhere. Where else would the ingenuity of the world come from?

 

But no, he shouldn’t think like that for no one Guardian was more important than another (statement courtesy of mother dearest). They all just where good at different things…

 

That still didn’t change his opinion though.

 

He really was the most important.

 

Of course he’d never mention that aloud…er on paper…

 

Sandy sighed, why wouldn’t people just listen to him, despite the obvious prohibition that he couldn’t physically talk, they ought to at least read what he writes, (or in the case of his family look at the little sand animations) and take heed of their warning, it would just make life so much simpler for them. But no, no one ever does, because no one even remembers he’s there half the time. And then they wonder why he falls asleep during their meetings.

 

Jerks.

 

“Sandy! Hey, lil’ buddy, the kings of fun have arrived!”

 

Ah yes, think of the devil and the devil shall appear. 

 

Jack.

 

Sandy turned and shot Jack an annoyed look, watching as he jumped from the top step falling lightly to his feet, a sly satisfied grin on his face, one that screamed trouble.

 

 Wonderful, what did Jack do this time?

 

“What?” Jack asked when he walked over, that silly grin still painted on his face, “I didn’t do anything, promise.”  Jack crossed his heart before putting his hands up in an I’m innocent gesture

 

Yeah, sure.

 

Sandy crossed his arms giving him a Really you expect me to believe that? look.

 

“It wasn’t anything bad…well there was that one time in history today but hey, no one knows about that,” Jack winked.

 

Sandy rolled his eyes, and shifted his gaze to Jamie who had now caught up to his white haired friend, standing slightly behind him looking decidedly…flustered. Sandy peered closer; Jamie’s glasses were askew, his movements jumpy and tight, bangs strewn haphazardly in front of his eyes, and of course a tell all sign, his backpack was slung over one shoulder instead of both.

 

Yep he was definitely flustered.

 

Sandy looked at Jack giving him a What’s his deal expression, jerking his head in Jamie’s direction.

 

Jack’s grin grew wider, “Ah nothing, out of the ordinary, right Jay?”

“Huh?” Jamie blinked and looked up, “Uhm, yes…yes to whatever it was you just emoted.”

Jack shot him a complicated look, something between guilt and worry perhaps? “Yeah, well…let’s go shall we?” Jack fiddled with the hood of his hoodie, his gaze shifting back and forth between far-away objects only he could see.

 

Jack placed an arm over Jamie’s shoulder, and began to walk forward in the direction of home…or rather that’s what he would’ve done, except Jamie flinched at his touch. Jack froze. 

 

Jamie flinched.

 

Jamie had tried to cover it up but it didn’t matter Jack still felt it, like a slap to the   face.

 

Jamie had flinched.

 

He hadn’t done that since they first met.

 

Was the kiss really that bad of a thing?

 

Shit, Jack shouldn’t have done that.

 

Jack bit his lip, and removed his arm slowly, an awkward bubble of silence filling the air around the trio. 

 

Jamie shifted uncomfortably, looking away, unsure what to do, the silence growing stronger and stronger. Jack opened and closed his mouth looking like he wanted to say something, apologize maybe, but he didn’t. He just stood there gaping like a fish out of water, his Adam’s apple bobbing with his breaths. Crap. Crap. Crap. Jack had really screwed up hadn’t he?

 

Sandy turned around, bored, not at all interested in his brothers dilemma. What was the point? He knew Jamie couldn’t stay mad at him. He knew what he dreamed about. He knew the things he’d think about, those private thoughts he thought no one else could know. He knew the looks he’d give his brother when he wasn’t looking. He wasn’t hopelessly in love with Jack Frost. It would take the implosion of the universe for him to ever truly hate him. Wow, Sandy sounds like a creeper here. 

 

Sandy tapped his chin.

 

Well…unless it had already imploded and now he was in another dimension entirely.

 

Had the world imploded? 

 

Whatever, no point worrying about that, that was one thing out of his jurisdiction.

 

Sandy turned back to the two idiots, also known as his brother and his friend, Jack Frost and Jamie. The two love birds really needed to get a move on, the whole skating on the edge of the ice was getting annoying. He sighed, and looked at the horizon again. Time to get moving.

 

Sandy stomped on the ground and tapped the two on the shoulder, successfully distracting them from their own thoughts, and jerked his head towards home, tapping his wrist where a watch would normally rest. Let’s go, his actions screamed.

 

“Ah yeah, sorry ‘bout that,” Jack tried to compose himself putting another smile on his face, but it was strained and his eyes spoke of darker things. Fears he wouldn’t want others to see, “Come on let’s get you home.” He spoke to Sandy directly, subtly avoiding directly talking to Jamie. 

Sandy mentally face palmed.

 

Wow, his brother was an idiot. That was not the way to make Jamie forgive whatever it was Jack did to him. Jamie was very much like a puppy. Granted that would be a genius puppy who could walk talk and do everything else any normal human would, but he was definitely a big lovable puppy all the same, and when you upset a puppy the first thing they do is blame themselves even when everyone else is at fault; Jamie was definitely doing that now.

 

Sandy turned and gestured to Jamie to follow. He smiled gratefully but shook his head.

 

“I’ll just walk alone, if that’s okay with you… two,” Jamie muttered, “I just recollected that I uhm forgot… something… in the council room.” He chuckled awkwardly, “See you later Jack…”

 

Jack didn’t turn; he didn’t want Jamie to see his conflicted emotions. He didn’t want to show that side of himself to his friend; he was his guardian, he wasn’t allowed to be weak. He knew Jamie was lying, he knew Jamie was only doing this to apologize.  His own version of a silent apology, blaming himself for Jack’s own faults. But he couldn’t say anything, he couldn’t ease his friends suffering. 

 

He was too much of a coward.

 

Instead he just nodded and put up his hand in a silent wave. His acceptance. It was all he could do. He hoped Jamie would understand it. He hoped he knew what it was he couldn’t say. 

 

Jack gulped and took a shaky breath, “Sandy?” He began to move away, his feet carrying him home automatically, his single word an order for the younger to follow.

 

And he did.

 

He followed the command.

 

And left the other behind.

 

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

 

Jamie took in a deep breath and watched the Frost brothers walk away. He hadn’t meant to flinch, it just happened. He figured Jack would want his space now, he hadn’t taken the kiss well. He’d read too deeply into it obviously. Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid Jamie. Why did his mind have to take it to such a higher plane? It was obviously meant to be a joke, and now well, now he’d taken it to be more than it was supposed to be. Jack was a joker. There was nothing more to be said. 

 

Jamie shifted the weight of his backpack back to the top of his shoulder; it was heavy but he didn’t feel like alleviating any of the discomfort. It was a distraction, and right now he needed distractions, lots and lots of distractions. He took another breath, inhaling the frigid winter air. It cleared his head, the cold biting at his throat. See, distraction.

 

His body began to move on autopilot, his feet taking him down to the front of the school, then around the corner, the opposite direction of Jack and Sandy, the long way home. It would be dark by the time he made it back, probably dark before he even got halfway home, maybe dark by the time he reached the end of the block but whatever, he needed time too. Time away from Jack. Time to collect his thoughts, his emotions. Time to not walk through the door and not be able to withstand the onslaught of hate his parents gave each other. The strength to be able to protect Sophie from the whiplash.

 

He began walking faster, adjusting his glasses on his face, glasses Jack had picked out for him. He bit his lip. He couldn’t stop thinking about him, he needed him by his side. He needed him more than any other person right now. Couldn’t he see that?

 

Or was it that he just didn’t care?

 

He shook his head and began to walk faster; he couldn’t think that way, it would just make everything worse. But still the doubt remained, the little voice of unrest. He kept walking, periodically looking up to make sure he didn’t get lost while the wind began picking up, blowing with an angry icy touch, a horrible antithesis to Jack. Jamie paused and rested his head on a wall. Jack, Jack, Jack, Jack, Jack! The more he tried to forget, to push it all away, the more he saw him in everything around him.

 

It was awful.

 

Jamie took out his phone, it was dark now, and even with his glasses he could barely see what the street sign said. It looked like he was somewhere downtown. How in the world had he ended up here?

 

“Wonderful,” He muttered glancing at the time, five o’ four, his parents were going to kill him when he got home. Jack and Sandy definitely must have gotten to their house by now, and now he was lost in his own hometown, the place he’d lived all his life. How the heck did that happen? This day was turning into a nightmare.

 

Jamie sighed and sat down on the curb, tightening the scarf around his neck and pulling at his gloves, covering up the sliver of skin that was exposed to the elements, before beginning to scroll through his contacts.  No, not Cupcake. Nope, Jack’s out of the question… he doesn’t even drive. He definitely wasn’t calling his parents… Ethan then? He’d probably not ask any questions… He hit call.

 

Jamie brought the phone to his ear and stood up, pacing lightly on the sidewalk as the phone rang… and rang… and rang… and finally…went to voicemail. Jamie frowned, that was odd, Ethan never missed a call, and especially at this time of night, he was probably back at the Frost’s house which meant someone must’ve heard it. Yet no one answered. Was Ethan out? Finally having a night life? 

 

Doubtful.

 

Jamie tried again, maybe it was just a fluke and he was in the bathroom or something, but still nothing. Well great.

 

He’d have to call his parents.

 

“Jamie?” someone called from behind him. He turned. “Oh it is you.” The figure came into the light, it was Mason.

 

 “What are you doing out here, don’t you live on the other side of town?” He asked, carrying two bags of groceries in his hand.

Jamie sputtered, “Uh-uhm I…took a wrong turn… somewhere, I guess, I was too engrossed in my personal thoughts.”

“I see,” Mason paused and looked at him thoughtfully. “Need a ride?” He gestured to the car beside him.

 

“Oh, uhm.” He bit his lip, he was going to say no, but…he did need a ride. Jamie sighed. “Yes, that would be much appreciated.”

“Come on then.”

 

Mason adjusted the bags to fit on one arm and unlocked the car, gesturing for Jamie to get in.

 

“Thanks,” He mumbled once he was situated inside, taking off his hat and gloves, crumpling them in his lap.

“No problem, now where to?”

“Oh yeah uhm, 4357 Sycamore Lane, you know where that is?” Jamie responded glancing in his direction.

Mason looked at him, a weird mix of amusement and confusion on his face, “That’s around the corner from the school, seriously, how the heck did you get stuck out here?”

“I was pre-occupied.”

“Thinking of Jack?”

 

Jamie jumped, “What?”

“He’s the only one that could ever get you this worked up, I know about what happened with Cupcake a few years ago, you didn’t even flinch and she was punching you senseless.” 

“It’s nothing.”

“It was the kiss wasn’t it?”

“What? No! That’s none of your business.”

 

Mason gripped the wheel tighter, “Yes it is, I know others might not notice it, but I know how you look at him, I know how you feel.”

Jamie froze, but quickly collected himself, so what if one person knew… big deal. “So what?”

“So you don’t deny it?”

“Deny what?”

“Liking him.”

“No.”

“So what’s the problem?”

“I’d really much rather not talk about it

Mason sighed, “Fine, but is it really something to cry over?”

 

“Huh?” Jamie brought a hand to his face, it was wet and sticky with tears. Well then, that explains why the air was so cold on his cheeks. “Again, that’s none of your concern.”

 

Mason’s mouth twitched into an angry line, but Jamie didn’t care, he didn’t feel like talking, he just wanted to get home, get yelled at by his parents and then get lost in his remaining homework, maybe play some videogames before going to bed if he had time. He just wanted to escape into normality for a moment.

 

“We’re here,” Mason grunted out pulling up in front of Jamie’s house after twenty minutes of awkward silence.

“Thanks again,” Jamie muttered, replacing his scarf and gloves on his body, and gathered his things from the floor of the car.

Mason sighed, “Look, if you don’t feel up to it tonight, I’ll do the council report, okay?”

Jamie turned and gave him a small smile before shaking his head. “No, it’s fine, I’ll do it… though I might be unable to send it to you before ten o’clock.”

“Are you sure?”

 

Jamie nodded.

 

“If you say so.”

 

Jamie nodded again and got out of the car, waving as Mason drove away. Then he turned, took a deep breath, and walked into his home.

 

 

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

 

Jack slammed his fist on the wall in front of him, icy tendrils traveling up, up, up, spreading quickly, randomly, angrily, a sporadic painting of sharp turns and sudden drops, of despairing spirals, of furious edges, the frost personifying his anger in the way it knew how. He glanced out his window, his snow white hair framing his face in a new dark way, his eyes, usually so full of mirth and joy, dark and dead, a poor replica of the soul that resided within. Jamie was still gone, his room devoid of light, just like his own. Jack slid to the floor, guilt eating at his insides. If anything had happened to Jamie he’d never forgive himself. He shouldn’t have let Jamie go alone. He should’ve waited. Hell he should’ve just told Sandy to get his ass home by himself. He was a big kid, he didn’t need his older brother holding his hand all the time; he was Guardian for Pete’s sake! Loneliness came with the job! His best friend had needed him, and he had needed to make his best friend understand--to force him to see that he didn’t blame him for whatever it was that was on his mind--and to maybe kiss him again?

 

Whoa, what?

 

 Jack shook his head, he wasn’t seriously thinking of Jamie like that right? It was Jamie for God’s sake, his best friend of six years, he couldn’t view him as anything else. Could he? Why wouldn’t it have ever surfaced before now?

 

Jack groaned and dropped his head on his arms, why couldn’t things be simple like back when they were kids, when the biggest problem was Cupcake and her pack and not teenage hormones? 

 

Ah yes, those were the good days.

 

A knock on the door broke Jack from his thoughts.

 

 “We’re getting ready to go, have you seen Ethan today?” His mom called through the door.

Jack cleared his throat, “No. Maybe he went solo today?”

“Maybe.” She didn’t sound convinced. “He usually would’ve called if that was the case.”

“Maybe he just got held up.”

 

There was a pause.

 

“Are you okay?”

The question caught Jack off guard. “I’m fine…why?”

“You looked upset when you walked in, and I don’t think I saw Jamie with you two. Is something going on?”

“No, nothing,” he gritted out.

“Jack, I know your lying, I’m your mother, I can tell that much, so just know if you want to talk I’ll be here for you.”

 

Jack didn’t respond, just nodded knowing she couldn’t see, knowing deep down that her statement was false, he really only saw her about an hour a day when he got home from school, and then she and the rest of his family would be off traveling the world again. Being there for everyone but him. He heard his mother sigh and the flutter of her wings as she hovered away. Was he really that easy to read? Seemed like he couldn’t lie to anyone but himself.

 

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

 

Jamie stepped through the threshold of the house, the air warm with the scent of apple pie, his mother must have been baking… that was never a good sign on a school night. He paused there, the cold air from outside buffeting him from behind, the smell of snow and earth mixing with the smell of cinnamon and apples. He stood there taking calming breaths and wiped the last of his tears away before his mother called to him from the living room.

 

“Close the door James.”

 

Jamie stood there a moment longer before complying, pulling off his scarf and gloves, placing them on their respective perch on the coat rack beside him.

 

“Come here James.” 

 

Jamie’s feet responded immediately, carrying him to the living room against his will, his mind catching up as he passed the threshold into hell. 

 

His mother stood in the corner of the room, her back turned to him, a duster in hand, furiously dusting already spotless picture frames, the only unbroken thing in the family. 

 

The memories.

 

Jamie stood still as stone. Barely breathing. Not daring to lift a finger in fear of his mother’s wrath. Hoping against all hope that she wouldn’t notice him there and be able to just walk away.

 

Of course that would be asking for too much though.

 

Mrs. Bennett inhaled deeply and set the duster on the fireplace mantel delicately, the calm of the furious permeating every pore of her being. She paused then, her back still turned, her hand hovering over the duster as if contemplating whether or not she really wanted to do this. 

 

Her hand moved away from the duster.

 

It was decided.

 

She did.

 

 Victoria Bennett turned slowly, painstakingly slow, as if she had all the time in the world, which in this world, she did. Then she stared. That’s it. Just…

 

Stared.

 

Stared at Jamie.

 

Stared at her son.

 

Stared, and wondered what the hell had been going through her son’s head when he decided to waltz back home an hour late one a school night.

 

And Jamie stared back.

 

Her eyes flicked away from his, distracted by his light drumming on the door frame under his hand.

 

She cleared her throat, “Stop that, you’re getting fingerprints all over it.”

 

Jamie stopped and removed his hand from the frame tentatively, as if he expected to fall if he let go.

 

Maybe he would have.

 

Maybe he already has.

 

The two lapsed back into silence, his mother back to staring Jamie back to being stared at.

 

“Where have you been?” His mother spoke with deadly calm.

“Where’s dad?”

“Helping Sophie, now answer the question.”

Jamie gulped. “I was…,” he paused, he had no good way to say where he was, “… out.”

“Out… you… were… out?” Mrs. Bennett’s mouth set into a line. “That’s really what you want to go with? ‘Out?’”

 

Jamie didn’t say anything, there was nothing more to say, he just shrugged and looked down. He was at fault, just like with Jack. 

 

“And who was that who drove you home?”

“Mason.”

“The council president?”

“Yes.”

“And what were you doing with him?”

“Nothing, he found me downtown and asked if I needed a ri-”

“You were downtown? The fuck were you doing out there?!”

 

Jamie flinched like he’d been physically slapped.

 

“I-I was just pre-occupied,” He said.

“That’s for sure, you’re grounded, give me your video games, and your stupid fantasy books, it’s time for you to get your head out of the clouds James. You’re not to have them until the end of the semester, and you’re only allowed to use your computer for school work. Understood?”

 

Jamie nodded, his mouth set in a thin line, his bangs covering his eyes.

 

“Go get them, and bring your laptop down too, you’re going to work where I can see you.”

 

Jamie turned and trudged up the stairs, dumping his school bags on the floor and collecting the stacks of games and books from all the corners of his room, before walking back downstairs. His mother gave him a sour look. 

 

“That it?”

“No, there’s more.”

Mrs. Bennett made a face, flipping through some of them, “Ugh, you need to throw these away, it’s junk.”

“No it’s not.”

She looked up at him, “Yes it is, it’s not real, it’s just a distraction, get grounded Jamie.”

“Mother, I have an IQ over 180, these…‘trivial’ books are not distractions, I can teach myself quantum physics, deal with orchestra, and student council, and homework, I’ve mastered three languages, I can handle some books on the paranormal.” 

“Obviously you can’t if you found yourself on the other side of town with apparently no recollection of how you got there.”

“I wasn’t worried about those,” He said gesturing to the books in front him, “I was worried about Ja-”

“Oh okay then, Jack’s the distraction? No Jack either.”

 

Jamie‘s head whipped up, “What?!”

“You heard me. No. Jack. Not until the semester’s over.”

“You can’t ban me from my friend.”

“Oh yes I can.”

“You’re being ridiculous!”

“No I’m not, you’re being hysterical.”

 

“What the hell is going on down here?!” His dad said from behind Jamie, appearing seemingly from nowhere “And where have you been?”

“He was out, apparently,” His mother said obvious sarcastic venom lining her words.

“And what are you doing with his books?”

“Punishing him.”

“By taking away books? Vicky, how is that helping anything? You’re being ridiculous.”

“No, I’m not, why are you against me?!”

 

Mr. Bennett turned to Jamie, “Go to your room, take your books too.”

 

Jamie nodded and grabbed his books.

 

“Oh no you don’t, leave them!” His mother yelled.

 

Jamie paused in the middle of the room.

 

“Jamie… go.”

 

Jamie, fixed his glasses and ran up the stairs.

 

The family battle had begun.

 

He closed his door with a loud sigh and dropped the books on the floor at his feet. He stood there, resting his head on the door for a moment.

 

He screamed.

 

He cried.

 

He finished the council report by eight.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N PT2:
> 
> SOOO THERE YOU HAVE IT CHAPTER 4 I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT ;3 please review and comment and fav and share and all that jazz it makes me a happy man!
> 
> ok so some things
> 
> 1) to Kat! I hope i implemented the changes okay ^^; i still feel like i mightve made some mild oopsies with the run-on's lol
> 
> 2) Those who worry about Ethan, you'll find out what happens next chapter :3
> 
> 3) Like i said before I'm gonna try and update another 2 times this week sooo yeah be prepared
> 
> 4) Those who read Hell is Nothing in Your Arms that should get an update next week as well
> 
> 5) I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT FEEL FREE TO ADD ME ON TWITTER ArchangelSings
> 
> 6) THANKS FOR STOPPING BY LOVE YOU ALL!
> 
> lol and now for the character corner a note from Kat~
> 
> Omg, Sandy sounds like a creeper (*A* so true lol)
> 
> Wow, that's a pretty impressive list there(Trolololol so true)
> 
> * Note i paraphrased her notes from memory lol
> 
> GLAD YOU ENJOYED THE CHAP KAT! HOPE YOU'LL CONTINUE WORKING WITH ME :3
> 
> Next Updates Tentative Dates: Saturday + Sunday


	6. Skating in the Moonlight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to thank my Beta FireKat for Beta'ing this for me :3 YOU'RE SUCH A LIFE SAVER!!! HOPE YOU LIKE THE NEXT CHAPTER!

Fiery words cascaded from their mouths burning everything in their path like the flames of Vesuvius.

Hot.

Petrifying.

All consuming.

The playpen of torturers.

The playpen of the Furies.

Inflicting as much pain and suffering they could on the Bennett family.

The epitome of despair?

The epicenter of evil?

Or perhaps that was just wishful thinking.

Perhaps to live was to fear.

Perhaps to hate was to be human.

Perhaps to resist was to die

Jamie lay in his bed, his glasses laying on the desk beside him, the light of his computer illuminating his room in a faint bluish light. It all seemed so pointless. Everything around him. To try and cope, to not give in to his inner desires. Why shouldn't he? Why not become a statistic? What good was coming from continuing to exist?

There was nothing.

So why did he resist?

He had only had Jack. And now he'd jeopardized that. He had his violin, he had the student council, he had his games, his books, his mind, his dreams, but none of it was important. None of it mattered. None of it at all. His family would still be broken. He'd still be the same traumatized soul he was now. A soul in desperate need of something more than just good grades and pats on the back. A soul that craved love. Love from someone who knew him better than himself. One who could see through his mask and see the brokenness within. Someone who would see past even that and see the treasure that was indeed Jamie Bennett.

Wasn't he worthy of that?

Or was he just a big disappointment?

Jamie turned on his side, his legs pulled in close, his eyes brimming with fresh tears. The yelling continued below him. Loud and frantic shouts that carried throughout the halls. Ones that were lost to the outside world.

Eaten away by the wind.

As if they had never existed.

Jamie turned to the window, looking out of it to the house across from his own. Looking at one room in particular. Looking for one light that was out.

Looking for Jack.

Jamie sighed and reached for the phone in his pocket. He hadn't bothered changing out of his clothes; he hadn't felt strong enough to.

He didn't see a need to.

_Are you awake?_

Three simple words. Three words sent up into the sky, to bounce off a satellite to fall right back down to the earth across the street from him. To Jack. Three words that were a cry for help. He needed his friend.

He just hoped his friend still wanted him.

The response came a moment later.

Jamie guessed Jack did.

_Yah, wats wnorg_

Jamie let a small grin play on his face, ah Jack and his ever inherent need to not use the English language in all of its glory. Spell check. It was a wonderful thing.

_Crap i meant wrong stupid keypads a bish to use w/ no light._

Jamie wiped his face and smiled some more.

_Then why don't you turn on the light?_   
_Cause it's like 5 steps away and I'm already in bed, no way in hell I'm getting up again. So….wahts wrong._   
_I mean what! Damn keyboard. See this is why I don't spell "what" and just type "wat" so much easier._

A pause and then another text.

_So what's wrong?_

Jamie bit his lip before typing a response.

_Nothing, I was just wondering if you had or hadn't begun your eight hour rejuvenated process._

He lied. Thank god you couldn't see faces in texts

_You mean sleep?_   
_Yes._   
_Couldn't you just say that?_   
_No, you know I'm much too complicated to take the easy way when there's a perfectly usable difficult way available._   
_You're just a masochist._

Jamie laughed a little into his pillow.

_No, I just don't want the difficult routes to feel neglected; easy ones get all the love._   
_Well, you're not easy to understand, but people still love you._   
_What?_   
_I'm coming over._   
_What?!_   
_Open your window._   
_Wait! What happened to the whole five steps to the light thing?_   
_I changed my mind, now is your window open?_   
_Uhm…_   
_Open it already, seriously Jamie do you want me to freeze my balls off?_

Jamie sighed and got up to unlock his window. There was no way in heck he was opening it himself; it was still gloriously warm in his room.

_Ok, it's unlocked._   
_Didn't I say to open it? -.-_   
_It's warm in here, open it yourself._   
_*sigh* Lazy, heat loving bum, fine, stand back, ima climb up now._   
_Ok._

Jamie moved back to stand by his door and waited. If he had really been in his right mind he'd probably have realized just how impossible it was for Jack to scale the side of his house without assistance, especially in winter, but he wasn't in his right mind. All he wanted was his Jack.

A faint rustle at the window. A muttered curse. An explosion of flurry and Jack lay at his feet, sprawled over the floor, a mass of slender limbs contorted humorously below him.

"Well damn, that didn't go how I thought it would," Jack muttered grinning up at him.  
Jamie smiled back at him and held out a hand. "You never plan anything Jack."  
Jack took his hand and stood up, grinning mischievously. "Would've helped if you opened your window."  
"I like my heat."

Jack chuckled. "That you do, Jay, that you do."

Jamie smiled. One that screamed relief. One that eased the tension in his body. Whatever problems they'd had seemed to have been resolved. The kiss wasn't even brought up.

And he was glad for it.

Jack's smile faded as the shouts from below finally reached his ears.

He looked at Jamie, a wave of fierce protection rising from somewhere deep inside of him. Some dormant rage he didn't know he was capable of.

Though it really shouldn't come as a surprise.

Winter wasn't always kind.

"Is this why you texted?" He asked, jerking his snowy mop in the direction of downstairs.

Jamie opened and closed his mouth a few times before replying. "…Yes…"

Jack set his mouth in a thin line.

He grabbed Jamie's arm, "Come on, I'm getting you out of here."  
"Wait, what? No! I can't just leave at…," Jamie glanced at the clock on his bedside table, "Ten o'clock at night."  
"Yes you are, you need a good ol' dose of fun, provided by yours truly." Jack tossed him his hat, scarf, gloves, and sweater, "Now put those on."  
Jamie sighed before complying, "Wait…how am I supposed to sneak out, they're in the living roo-"  
"Close your eyes."  
Jamie gave him a look, "I don't trust were this is going."  
Jack grinned, "You shouldn't it's me, but have I ever let you get hurt?"

Jamie looked at him like Duh, does that even need to be asked?

"Ok so have I ever let you get hurt when I was in control? When I could stop it?"  
Jamie bit his lip, "Well no…"  
"Then close your eyes… trust me."

Jack outstretched his hand, his eyes pleading, begging for him to agree.

Jamie sighed and took his hand.

Then he closed his eyes.

He could feel Jack's smile like a beacon of light in the darkest cave, radiating through him.

"Okay, don't let go, and follow the sound of my voice."

Jamie nodded and obeyed, letting Jack lead him closer and closer to their exit.

His window.

He felt a cold blast of air hit his face, air that mixed with the heat of the room sending his senses into overdrive. "Uhm…Jack…I don't think-"  
"Shhh," Jack put a finger on his lip, "That's just it, don't think, don't open your eyes, just… hang on."

Jack grabbed his other hand and wrapped it around his waist, then, with a grunt, Jack lifted him up bridal style. Jamie gulped and held on tightly, burying his face into the crook of Jack's neck.

"I honestly don't think this is a good idea Jack. You know that physics really shouldn't allow both of us to fit through that window? I mean with my height even at this angle it shoul-"  
"Jamie, shut up." That was all Jack said then he jumped.

Jamie gasped.

The idiot freaking jumped.

Out of his second story window…with a one hundred forty pound six foot kid in his arms.

This was not going to end well.

Everything scientific screamed that they were going to break something.

Except they didn't.

He didn't even feel them fall. Just one moment he was in his room and the next…

They were on sweet, sweet earth.

"You can open your eyes now… and you're kinda choking me Jay."  
"Sorry," Jamie mumbled slowly releasing his tight hold of Jack. What could he say, he'd been freaked out.

Jack helped him down and Jamie took a calming breath.

"Shit, I forgot my glasses," Jamie mumbled under his breath after patting himself down.

Jack grinned…or at least he assumed he did, everything was kinda blurry this close up. "Did the infamous Jamie Bennett just utter a curse in my presence? Why there may be hope for you yet."  
Jamie glared. "Shut up, I've had a rough day, don't worry I'll be sure to punish myself with standards later to put your obviously horrified mind at ease."  
"Okay, okay, lighten up, I'll hold your hand the whole way," Jack said teasingly, "Come on princess, your prince has to get his sword and shield."

Jamie felt his cheeks redden.

He hoped Jack thought it was from the cold.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Jamie scoffed as he followed Jack through the forest on the outskirts of town. True to his word, Jack was indeed holding his hand the entire way, though were here was he had absolutely no idea. It was much too dark for him to see anything but icy tree roots, and frost encrusted ground, even with the glasses (also known as Jack's "shield"…he refused to show him what his "sword" was, keeping that hidden in the bag he know had slung over his shoulder) that Jack had "borrowed" from his sleeping father. Jack, on the other hand, seemed to have no problem finding where they were, walking with confident steps deeper and deeper into the night time forest

…At least Jamie hoped Jack knew where he was going.

It would be really awkward if he didn't.

Finally after what felt like a million twists, a few stumbles, and a couple muttered curses from Jack later, they emerged in a clearing. One that in the center held a small lake…

Or maybe a big pond?

Jamie wasn't sure which was more accurate… he'd have to look it up later.

Jack stopped and turned to look at Jamie, a wide grin on his face.

"Tada!" He cried, running to the center and spinning around on the ice, "Come on!"

Jack dropped the bag he had on the ground beside him before revealing their contents.

Ice skates.

Jamie's eyes widened, and Jack laughed.

"Oh no! Oh no, no no no no no no no. I don't, I can't… I won't ice skate!"  
Jack grinned slyly, "Have you ever even tried?"  
Jamie made a face, "O-of course I have… you know…when I was like… four… and… my… mom-yeah ok no not really… but still! How do you even know it's safe? That ice could break at any moment! It's a very probable outcome you know."  
"Well I'm standing on it, it's not breaking is it?"  
"I also weigh ten point one pounds more than you."  
"Ah don't worry it'll hold."  
"But-"  
"Jamie, how many times must I say this, trust me," Jack walked back to the edge of the pond/lake and held out the skates.

Jamie sighed and walked forward before putting them on.

"What of these don't fit," Jamie mumbled to himself as he began to switch into the skates.  
"Oh don't worry, they'll fit, Ethan wore the same shoe size as you when he was your age."

Jamie groaned and finished lacing up the skates.

"Okay, ready, done, prepared, help me up." Jamie made a face and Jack grinned, skating on back to his friend and holding out his hands.

Jamie took them and Jack slowly led them to the center of the ice. Jamie holding on tightly to Jack, wobbling dangerously on the surface of the frozen pond.

"J-Jack, I don't think I can do this, you know there's a reason I never tried out for dance…or gymnastics, or anything that involved feet and balance and-"  
"Jamie, just shut up and breath, seriously you're gonna suck the fun out of the moment. It's easy, just one," Jack skated backwards one step, "Two," he moved the other foot and began lessening his hold on Jamie's wrist, "Three." Jack let go and skated away.

"JACK!" Jamie cried out as he scrambled to catch his balance.  
"You can do it! Just step, and step, and slide!" Jack called from where he was skating in figure eights and perfect jumps.  
"Easy for you to say," Jamie muttered, "You're an ice skating genius."

But Jamie did what he was told.

He breathed.

He took a step.

Then another.

Then he slid.

And he was skating.

Jamie grinned from ear to ear, and whooped in delight, as he skated his way over to Jack who stood waiting with open arms.

"See, told ya you could do it."

Jamie grinned down at him and rested his hot forehead on Jacks cooler one, his breath fogging the air in front of them.

"Yeah you did."

Jack stared up at Jamie, Jamie stared down at Jack, time seemed to slow down, and everything faded away except for the two of them. Together. On the ice. Their faces just inches apart.

Jamie gulped; the distance between them was closing. Jack's face was getting closer, his lips, his crystal blue eyes. Everything that made Jack, Jack.

Jamie leaned in, his eyes closing, his heart beat racing. They moved closer, the cold air becoming warm in their heat.

The inches lessened.

The distance closed.

Jamie felt Jack's cold breath on his lips.

He found himself almost whimpering with need.

His lips parted.

Just a centimeter apart.

Closer.

Closer.

Closer.

And then…

Cold.

Cold everywhere.

No longer was Jack wrapped around him blocking the breeze.

Jack had pulled back and Jamie lost his balance falling onto the ice with a thud.

Jamie blinked a few times, dazed, un-sure of what almost happened between them. Jack looked away, his cheeks flushed a shade of blue, his own version of a blush, shaking slightly, his body still high off the adrenaline of what almost was.

Jamie sat on the ice and looked as Jack shakily skated back to the edge of the pond.

"Come on, it-it's getting late, I gotta get you home," Jack said stuffing his skates into the bag.  
"O-Oh yeah!" Jamie hurriedly got up, slipping a few times before making it back to where Jack was on the other side.

Jamie handed him the skates, Jack handed Jamie his shoes. The two began to make their way back through the forest.

Jack didn't offer his hand.

Jamie didn't ask for it.

The two finally made it back to their street, tired, exhausted, and all "funned" out, if the end of their meeting could be considered fun. The two friends exchanged weary good nights and walked into their respective homes, Jamie using the front door, not even bothering to try and sneak in. It was one AM, and everyone ought to be asleep by now.

He climbed up the stairs and quietly opened his bed room door, stripping out of his clothes until he was just in his boxers, before tossing himself on his bed, groaning as he realized he'd forgotten to give Jack back his dad's glasses.

He sighed, it was too late now, he'd just do it in the morning.

If Jack still wanted to talk to him in the morning.

Why did life have to be so complicated?

He buried his face in his pillow and closed his eyes, trying to find some peace and fall asleep, oblivious to the black shadow that flitted through his room and into the hallway.

He oblivious to the danger.

He fell asleep just as Sophie began screaming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N PT2:
> 
> 1) Enjoy the fluffy Jackie?
> 
> 2) You shall see what's been happening to Ethan in the next chapter and meet a new character :3
> 
> 3)UHM REVIEW PLEASE! THE MORE THE BETTER I LOVE YOUR COMMENTS THEY INSPIRE ME TO WRITE QUICKER LOL
> 
> 4) I'll prob write more later :3
> 
> 5) THIS IS A REALLY SHORT CHAPTER SORRY LOL
> 
> 6) I wuv u kat~~~~~


	7. Sinister

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: OK SO HERE IT IS! THE BETA'D AMAZING NEW UPDATE YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR! THANK YOU FIRE KAT FOR BETA'ING THIS FOR ME AGAIN! GLAD U LIKED IT and lol that pollution comment made me laugh for like 2 minutes straight...lord ah~ ANYWAY YES OK WARNINGS!
> 
> This is the chapter things in the Guardians Vs. Pitch department start to develop more rapidly, that subplot becoming more relevant now. Now i only mention this because there IS a scene of graphic sex in this chapter and so for those who are uncomfortable with it...i'm sure u can figure outwhat type of sex it is, there is a warning above that section for your benefit and a warning for where it ends. Now because of this I'll put a mild summary of what happened in that section in the 2nd A/N cause some important stuff happens in it...Anyway thats enough talk from me...i'll let u get reading.
> 
> AGAIN THERE IS A SCENE OF GRAPHIC SEX! DON'T LIKE THAT SKIP IT! THERE'S A WARNING IN PLACE ;3

"Come on sleepy head, Uncle Pitch wasn't that hard on you." A voice with a playful lilt said to him in an almost sing song fashion. 

Ethan groaned in response, dazed, still unable to focus on any one sound for too long. Where was he? What was going on? It was all so confusing

"Ha, hard on… ha, oh I crack myself up. Aren't I funny Ethan?" The voice was closer now, he could hear the click clack of… of… boots? High heels? He tried to think, to focus, replaying the voice in his head.

Female.

 The voice was female. Definitely female. But it wasn't one he'd ever heard before. He tried to zone in on the voice again but it was too difficult; this mind was spinning just with the effort of staying conscious.

 Someone gripped the collar of his shirt roughly… probably the owner of the voice, and whispered in his ear, "Answer me, you little bitch, I don't like being ignored. Aren't. I. Funny?"

 "Mmmuuuahhhmm," came Ethan's garbled reply.

"Tcch, fine then, do this the hard way, make me lose my temper, I'll ask you one more time. Aren't. I. Fucking. Funny?"

Ethan opened his mouth but nothing came out. Not a peep. His world was spinning with his eyes closed, his arms felt like they were his legs and his legs felt like his arms and his mouth felt like his nose, and his nose like his ears and, and, and everything just felt re-wired and wrong.

He felt violated.

Like something horribly, inconceivable perverted had occurred to him…

Well besides being kidnapped by… by… what was the name… Pitch? Who the hell was Pitch?!

"Ugh, I said… I don't like being ignored!" the voice spat out and she punched him in the stomach.

Ethan gasped and nausea within him overtook his senses, forcing him to puke all over the space in front of him. The voice in front of him yelped in disgust and Ethan felt a small smile cross his face. Served the slut right for punching him in the gut.

"Uggh, eww, I should've let Pitch play with you some more, that's so disgusting."

Ethan openly smirked at her disgust and began to open his eyes. Slowly. Painstakingly. But with the drive to make his body his again.

"Ugh you bitch! Are you laughing at me? This is not funny!"

Ethan opened his mouth again, feeling was beginning to return to the rest of his body, he guessed that punch did something to jumpstart his nerves. He really ought to thank her…

But like hell that would happen.

"Oh…but, you're s-so…" Ethan breathed, "damn funny," he finished croaking out.

His throat felt raw and parched, his lips not much better, chapped and cracked. How long had he been out to be reduced to this pitiful state? A day? A week? A month?

Sophie!

What about her? What's happened in the time he's been gone? Ethan finally opened his eyes fully and squinted in the sudden light… or lack there of? He didn't know. He was just so sensitive right now. His vision cleared and his eyes focused on the girl in front of him. She wore all black; her lips covered in black lipstick, her eyes shadowed with purple eye shadow, a thin line of black eyeliner underneath her eyes. She pursed her lips at him.

"You're kinda hot, totally digging the gray hair with those eyes of yours, no wonder Pitch decided to take you for a ride," the girl said.

She looked to be around Ethan's age, maybe a year or two younger, but nothing drastic. She even might have been pretty if it wasn't for the fact that everything about her screamed raging psycho.

"Wh-what are you talking about?" Ethan croaked out.

She looked at him, a sadistic smile crossing her face. "You mean you don't remember?” 

Remember what? He wondered. The only thing he remembered was being grabbed from behind, tied up by black sand, and dragged down into the Earth. 

What the literal fuck was going on?

“I could hear you two all through out the Sinister… seemed like you liked it too."

Ethan looked at her like she was crazy. What was she talking about? Why would he enjoy being tortured? That made no sense.

"Hmmph, so you really don't remember?" She leaned in close. "Let me help you, your body remembers just fine."

"Wh-what are you-"

Suddenly her lips were on his, and his body arched as pain traveled through his entire body. Horrible. Bright. Glaring pain. A type of pain he'd never experienced before. Every crevice hurt, every inch, every follicle. Everything was just a white hot searing storm of agony. She kept kissing him and it just got worse because… he remembered.

He remembered what happened.

Images flew through his mind.

Glimpses of him and the man from before.

**(WARNING: SCENE OF GRAPHIC SEX AHEAD SKIP IF YOU FEEL THE NEED!)**

_"I'm going to break you Ethan, and it's going to be so much fun… for me at least."_

_Ethan struggled in his bonds, the sand only gripping him harder. "Like hell you are."_

_"That's what they all say in the beginning, but believe me," The figure vanished into shadow to appear right in front of him. He traced one sharp finger on his exposed chest. "In the end you'll be screaming for more."_

The girl kissed him harder. Ethan tried to scream, tried to break the kiss, to stop the onslaught of memory but he couldn't, he was stuck to the bed… the same bed, he realized, as before.

_Ethan was flipped onto his stomach, the bonds forcing him up on all fours, and spreading his legs apart. Ethan struggled in its grasp. He knew what was about to happen, knew it and it chilled him to the bone. He'd never even ever thought about doing this with another man and now it was being forced upon him._

_"Stop it!" Ethan cried out, swiveling his head as he felt the man grab his hips tightly, his talon like nails digging into his skin._

_The man above him purred and moved a finger down his side before lightly stroking his entrance. Ethan strained forward, trying to get away from the new foreign sensation._

_"Ah your fear is so beautiful, it smells delightful, how I'll enjoy your screams as you turn to dust under my fingers."_

_The man stopped stroking and began to push the finger inside of him._

_Ethan's eyes widened. "N-n-no! NO!"_

The girls tongue latched onto his own, roughly tugging on it. Tears streamed down Ethan's face, his body quaking at the memory of the intrusion. How rough it had been. How merciless and cruel. Nothing but pain, as the man had stretched him, laughing in ecstasy at the shrieks he’d made, purposely clawing at his insides, until blood soaked his long claw like fingers. 

_Tears streamed down Ethan's face, the bonds had been removed, but he was too weak to resist anymore, to tired to do anything but comply._

_"Open your legs."_

_He did._

_"Tell me you want me inside of you."_

_He replied, shame welling within him, "I want you to fuck me."_

_"How?"_

_"Hard. Until I can't feel anymore."_

_The man smirked at him, "That's a good boy."_

_He then moved forward, pressing his member at his entrance, pausing only for a second to look at the young man beneath him. How strong willed he'd been, now crumbling to nothing under his command. Then the man thrust in, violently, without warning, and completely, Ethan's blood acting as a lubricant._

_Ethan's eyes widened and a scream welled up inside of him. He'd never felt so full. So, so full in his life, as if he couldn't even breath. It hurt so much. It was just pain. The man began to thrust in and out, deep and hard, quick and furious. He leaned over the screaming boy and whispered in his ear._

_"Like this?"_

_"Yes, harder, make me yours." He was breaking, he was losing his identity, soon there would be nothing left._

The girl ran a hand up his chest, the same chest that the man (was that Pitch? It must have been, it was the only name the girl had mentioned he realized) had touched, the same way, the same claw like nails adorning her fingers. 

_Pitch complied, thrusting faster and harder, digging his nails into his shoulders, Ethan crying out in pain, hanging onto Pitch's neck for dear life. It hurt. It hurt. It hurt. It hurt. That was all he could think about. That and how big the man was and it felt like he was still growing. Ethan's screams reached a strangled sounding octave, he was breaking, his body couldn't take it. There was too much pain. He was going to die. He was going to die it was too much, too much, too much, too-_

_Suddenly, ecstasy._

_Ethan gasped and arched into the man, his own member now at attention, his eyes rolling back, a delicious moan parting from his lips._

_"Did you like that?" Pitch asked licking his ear._

_Ethan rocked his hips against Pitch's pelvis, forcing his member into him harder, hitting that spot again and again._

_"Y-yes." Another moan. "Fuck me harder."_

_The man smirked and bit Ethan's neck, drawing more blood. Ethan moaned again. No longer was the pain painful, no, now it was beautiful, amazing, arousing, and breathtaking. Why hadn't he discovered it before?_

_Pain was bliss._

_He was broken._

_Words streamed from Ethan's mouth, words and phrases he'd never uttered before, the Ethan of old gone and buried in some deep recess of the mind_

_"Bite me again, ah yes… ah… harder… fuck me… ah yes, claw me… mmmm… ahhh… harder, harder!"_

_Pitch kept growing inside of him, but it was wonderful, every thrust he made hit that spot. Every move a delicious fire of bliss. Pitch pressed his lips against his own, and Ethan opened his mouth inviting his tongue inside, letting it roam around his, letting him dominate completely, letting Pitch have all the control._

_"Do you want it?" Pitch asked in his ear._

_"Want… ah… ah… what?"_

_"The Bond, you know what that is don't you?"_

_"Y-ah-yes."_

_"Yes you want it? Or yes you know what it is?"_

_"Both."_

_"Good boy."_

_Pitch thrust harder, faster, becoming un coordinated, his breath becoming raggedy as he reached his climax and pressed his lips against his._

_"Take my load little bunny."_

_He came inside of him, filling him up further stretching him so much he was sure his ass was going to tear, and then Pitch placed his hand over his heart. They exchanged a look and the broken Ethan nodded, placing his own hand over Pitch's chest._

_"Ah so you do know the ritual."_

_He nodded._

_"Well this is a little different." Pitch smirked and dug his fingers into his chest, mumbling to himself in a language that Ethan didn't recognize. He cried out as Pitch's nails sunk in deeper, sinking through his chest as if it were water, a strange feeling over taking him._

_Now this was pain._

_Ethan screamed again, his vision growing blurry the last thing he remembered being Pitch's smirk and a strange green object glowing in his hand._

**(END SEX SCENE!!!)**

The girl pulled away and Ethan let out a strangled gasp. The pain had subsided to a dull ache but now a new emptiness formed inside of him, a since of dread.

He'd Bound himself to Pitch. 

What the hell had he been thinking?

Ethan looked down at his chest. It was true. The mark was there… but it was sinister, evil, diabolical in nature. Not at all like his mother and father's Bond. It was nothing like he'd imagined it would be. 

The girl followed his eyes and smiled. "The Diabolical Chain," She said pointing at his chest, "It's our version of your…what do you Guardians call it… Seraphicae Nexu?"

Ethan stared at her blankly. "What the fuck is a Sera-Seraphi… whatever?"

The girl gave him a look. "You really don't know?"

Ethan shook his head.

"Well damn bro, your parents really sheltered you. Do you even know what I am? What Pitch is?"

Again Ethan shook his head.

She sighed, "We are Antiteton's… the Opposition. We're I guess the shadow counterparts for your Guardians, the dark side... Evil if you have to label us with something."

Well that was just great, he'd managed to get Bound to the embodiment of evil.

Shit.

How was he going to get out of this mess?

"That mark," She pointed to his chest again, "The Diabolical Chain…it's similar to your…binding, but the shadow counterpart, it still holds the same value but with a lot more…singular benefits instead of the mutual bind you're used to."

Ethan grimaced. "So I'm slave to the embodiment of evil?"

The girl grinned. "Technically, he's the embodiment of fear, and like I said it still holds the same value to us it's still like…er what do mortals call it…marriage?"

"God, what the fuck was I thinking?"

"Obviously nothing, but don't worry, you're not the first to fall prey to his tricks…though you are the first Guardian… maybe that's why you were so fucked up earlier…" She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Will be interesting to see how it plays out. Mr. Experiment."

Ethan shivered he didn't like the sound of that.

"What's sinister?"

"You mean the Sinister?"

"I don't see a difference."

The girl placed a hand on her face in an exasperated manner. "Sinister is all of this," she said gesturing around her, "It's the name of our home, our little shadow land, the place we're strongest."

"I see…"

A few moments passed in relative silence before another question wormed its way to the surface of his mind.

"Well… who created you?"

"Hmmm?"

"Someone must have made you what you are…it wasn't the Man in the Moon right?"

The girl grinned menacingly. "Well, that's for me to know and you to find out… I'm sure Pitch will tell you when he comes back."

Oh, he sooo didn’t like the sound of that.

Shit.

There was no escaping. He was stuck. Cursed into virtual slavery by the stupid mark on his chest. How was he going to hide it from his parents? He was going to be shunned for sure, they must know about all this.

But then another question formed in his head.

But if they knew…why hadn't they ever told them?

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

A shadow flitted across the room, the eldest Bennett child had just fallen asleep. It seemed as if he had trauma of his own…

But it was purely human in nature, nothing to do with him or the other Antitetons -- unlike the rest of the family in which they were able to subtly influence. The child was just bearing a natural after-effect to the stress of it all. It was infuriatiating. 

Pitch couldn't touch him.

His power had no effect on his soul, his Nightmares rendered into gold dream sand, as if hitting a barrier of conversion.

But no matter, the boy wasn't the reason he was there in the first place. No. He was here for the girl, the one he could mold into the image of his choosing. The girl he could push into the direction he wished.

He was here for Sophie.

He crept into the hall, stealthy, he had thought about going after the other Frost boy -- Jack, that was his name -- but he didn't. This was not the time for a large scale battle. Soon enough that time would come, their presence would be known, but for now…for now he'd stick with the one he'd already snatched up…the one he had full control of.

Whether Ethan liked it or not. 

He paused outside Sophie's door, knowing it was hers by the amount of fear and plague that radiated out of it, and took out the green orb he'd taken from Ethan.

His center.

His hope.

His control

 

He grinned. How he loved power. How he loved to dominate any situation he was in. He was impossible to ignore when like that, he had to be seen, had to be heard, had to be obeyed. 

The bedroom was just one of the many places he excelled at.

Pitch shook his head, this was no time to be thinking of how easy it had been to break the boy; how easy it had been to make him into a mindless begging sex toy. No it was time to continue where he left off. He pushed open the door, Vanity had done a good job, the smell of sickness and death was so strong with this one. He smiled, he'd have to reward her later. 

Pitch stepped into the room, gracefully, silently, a sinister shadow in the night, totally un noticed by most.

Un-believed in.

He gritted his teeth. No. The past was the past. The Guardians had thwarted him once all those years ago. They thought he was gone. But no, that was why he was here now. Here for revenge. Here to make life his own living hell for all who lived in it. To return to the dark ages.

He was here because she commanded it.

The creator of all the Antiteton's.

Mother of the Sinister.

Sister of the Man in the Moon.

She was the Lady of the Earth.

Gaea.

And she was angry. 

He walked over to Sophie's bed, watching her dream flit above her head. It so close to being a nightmare; just barely hanging on, the edges encroached with darkness. 

Yes.

Give in.

It's simple really.

 

Pitch moved closer, his shark like smile lighting up his pale face.

"What a cute little dream you have," he purred. "How easily it becomes…a Nightmare."

Pitch jabbed a finger into the dream, spreading his anger, hate, despair, and fear all inside of it. Warping the image, changing it into what he craved, what he loved, what he desired.

A Nightmare.

Sophie cringed, shifting in her sheets as the nightmare took hold, a sheen of sweat covering her face.

Pitch smiled in glee.

It was working.

The girl below him began to move faster, her pulse racing, Pitch licked his lips, waiting, hoping, begging her to scream. To scream. Scream. Scream!

And she did.

A high pitched wail that cut through the night.

The sound of absolute fear.

It made him giddy inside. Aroused even…

He turned away from the girl in the sheets. Ethan. Yes, he'd use him again to satisfy himself. No matter if he resisted at first, in the end they always came around.

For tonight, this was all the push the girl needed.

The Grand Lady's plan was in motion.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Sophie loved to sleep. She loved to dream. It had been her only solitude since the whole ordeal began, but now not even that was safe. Pitch had polluted even that, she had nowhere to run, no where to hide, nothing but darkness enveloped her. She screamed. She screamed name of her protector. Her knight in shining armor. The one who was always there to comfort her.

She screamed for Bunny.

She screamed for Ethan.

But he never came.

And so there she lay. The broken screaming, crying girl. The girl with nothing. The girl ever closer to the edge. Screaming for release. Screaming for help. Screaming for her Bunny. Screaming until her parents came and woke her.

They whispered calming words in her ears.

They offered comforting touches on her clammy flesh.

But none of it mattered.

It all felt wrong. Fake.

Rehearsed.

She knew the truth. They didn't love her, they only came because she was making too much noise. They wanted their sleep. Jamie didn't even get up, she would've expected more from him, was a better actor than most. Making her think he cared. But in the end people's true colors always come to the light. No one cared. No one at all

Not even Ethan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N PT2:
> 
> SEX SCENE SUMMARY:
> 
> Ethan is raped by Pitch. Pitch makes Ethan into his whiny bitch. Ethan ends up liking being fucked yay~
> 
> Pitch offers to give Ethan the Bond. Ethan accepts. Ethan feels alot of pain. Ethan blacks out
> 
> End Sex Scene
> 
> AND SCENE! VOILA! THIS IS IT! THE NEW CHAPTER! NOW THEN MY LISTS!
> 
> 1) Omg, so sorry i know this was probably not the twist you were expecting...but it just sort of happened...dont kill me.
> 
> 2) Again thanks a bundle for beta'ing this for me Kat!
> 
> 3) It will b posted on AO3 as well same name :3
> 
> 4) Next Update: Approx Sat.
> 
> 5) I HOPE YOU ENJOYED! FAV! FOLLOW! REVIEW! THANKS!
> 
> 6) Follow me on twitter ArchangelSings
> 
> 7) Ooooor skype me idk if u care but yeah drop a line say hello im always willing to talk lol
> 
> 8)...this is long ima shut up now
> 
> 9) JACK AND JAMIE SEND THERE LOVE!
> 
> 10) As of next week the official updating schedule will be as follows:
> 
> Weds. Fri. Occasional Sundays
> 
> So yah for those who like to ask when the next update'll b or hows it goin there's your answer! I'll try and follow that as best i can but school might detract a little from that ^^;
> 
> THANKS AGAIN! AND TUNE IN NEXT TIME!


	8. Anitetons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SORRY FOR THE LATENESS THIS CHAPTER WAS DONE AWHILE AGO BUT...it's unbeta'd cause Firekat (my beta) has personal issues soooo yeah, she told me and now i'll just post Un-Beta'd versions ^^; SORRY!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI ALL SOOO HERE IT IS! CHAPTER 7...WELL IT SAYS 8 BUT ITS CHAP 7 ANYWAY HERE IT IS! I HOPE YOU LIKE MY LITTLE "IM SORRY FOR BEING SO LATE" BIT AT THE END! SOME NICE JACKIE MOMENT...I HOPE YOU ALL LIKE BUT YEAH THANKS FOR BEARING WITH ME! I'LL HOPEFULLY HAVE ANOTHER CHAP BY FRIDAY and omg am i the only one who thinks they purposely made jamie jamie? like Jack and Jamie...like Jack and Jill? Am i the only one to notice that? AND OMG I AM SO PISSED OFF I CANT SING IM TOO SICK AND OH YEAH SINGING THATS RIGHT ANOTHER SORRY IN THE MUSIC VARIETY IF YOU ALL CARE TO LISTEN TO IT LOL! ALSO UNBETA'D SOOO I'LL UPDATE IT WHEN IT IS BUT U KNOW CAUSE IT SOO LATE I WANTED TO JUST GET THIS UP NOW D; SCHOOLS A BITCH I KNOW LOL
> 
> IM SORRY SONG: :/ www . youtube watch?v=zCJsz7C0V3A
> 
> NOW IMA STOP TALKING...OH YEAH LISTEN TO ELLIE GOULDINGS HALCYON ALBUM...I WRITE TO IT! SO IDK MAYB IT'LL B GOOD READING BACKGROUND MUSIC...particularly Atlantis or Hanging on ...those are great...yeah i relate to her so much lol

Pitch slipped out of the Bennett house undetected. It was simple really, the parents were much too focused on their screaming daughter to notice a strange man-shaped shadow hovering in the corner of the room and their daughter was much to busy lashing out on her parents to notice either. Pitch smirked, tonight had been so  _so_ easy, things moved so much more smoothly without that meddling rabbit in the picture.

Maybe too easy.

Pitch made a face. No. This was no time to be thinking about his hunting preferences, this was about following Gaea's orders. If everything went according to plan he'd be able to have as much fun as he wanted on those infuriating Guardians. A grin spread across his face.

Or on whoever and whatever he saw fit.

Human and Supernatural alike

Mortal and Immortal.

There would be no divide between the two in Gaea's new world.

He smiled, what a glorious day that would be.

 _Crack!_ Pitch cocked his head to the side, the sound of footsteps drawing his attention away from his thoughts; the Guardians must be returning. He frowned, it was only two a.m, they weren't due to be back for another hour at least. What could have prompted their swift return? Sighing softly , his breath fogging in the air in front of him, he made his way down the street, sticking to the darkness, a silent whisper of a man's presence, flitting closer to his positive counterparts.

He stopped at the side of the house, his body easily missed against the tree, and stared, watching as the Guardians slowly came into view, watching and waiting.

Watching and listening.

North came first, his bright red coat a blatant sore in the otherwise white world, rubbing his belly with a gloved hand, his usual jovial nature dispelled by waves of anger. His mouth was set in thin line, his battle face on. Pitch felt his heart flutter. Now then-what could the cause of  _that_ be?

Tooth came next, a blur of color and frantic wings. Her usual fluttery energy coming out in even wilder intervals, nervous power disrupting everything in her wake. Pitch relished in her discomfort.

After Tooth, was Sandy, a new one, the one of this generation. Pitch made a face, he got the feeling this Sandman was not at all like the Sandman from his day and age. He felt more…cynical, violent even. Definitely not someone he would take lightly.

Lastly came a miniature Tooth, the young girl an almost exact replica of her mother at her age…Titania, that was her name. She walked quickly, obviously preferring her mortal form over her Guardian one, her green and purple streaked red hair blowing in the cold night air behind her. She shivered and pulled her coat closer to her body, her gaze flickering in his direction for a moment.

Pitch froze and pulled the shadows closer to him, blending him into the darkness more.

Titania squinted in his direction a moment longer then turned back around calling to her brother, "Sandy! Wait up! You don't really think something could've happened to Eth-"

She ran out of ear shot, a sudden flurry of snow forcing him to close his eyes, and when he opened them, the family was gone.

But he knew what the end of that sentence was.

He was right.

They knew about Ethan.

Pitch smiled at the prospect.

How fun this seemed like it would be.

Pitch stepped away from the tree with a grin on his face, things were indeed heating up, he looked at the glowing green orb in his pocket again, and his smile broadened more. Well that was enough for one night.

It was time to return to Sinister.

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

Jack climbed up the shadowed staircase numbly, only the light of streetlamps and the occasional car lighting his way. His body was running on autopilot as he made his way up to his room, eyes downcast, exhaustion overtaking his muscles and his mind. He paused at the top of the stairs and let out a sigh, his silvery hair moving to cover his eyes as he looked up at the wood beamed ceiling that held his home together.

When had his life become so complicated?

Jack walked into his room and slowly stripped out of his hoodie and pants, relishing in the cold air that touched his bare skin, before flinging himself, boxer clad, onto his bed one arm slung over his face in a defeated manner.

Why did his life have to be so complicated?

_Jamie…_

He bit his lip and gripped his hair into his fist, shifting slightly, thoughts of the brunette eliciting reactions from his body that had never been before. Urges. Desires. A destructive need that filled the pit of his belly and spread warmth to every corner of his being. Jamie and his nervous habits. Jamie and his smarts. Jamie and his overly formal way of speaking. Jamie and the glasses he was always forgetting were on top of his head. Jamie and his freckled cheeks. Jamie and his lips. Jamie and…and…everything that made Jamie, Jamie.

Why hadn't he realized it before?

He didn't even know just how much attention he spent looking at him. All the small idiosyncrasies that he'd come to expect…

To love.

Jack sighed, curling into himself, his mind wandering back to that night, that moment just a mere hour ago, that time when he'd almost kissed Jamie. Kissed him in a way that would've made him more than just a friend. The moment had felt so  _right_  to just lean in, the perfect time to press his lips to his. But he didn't. He pulled back. He let go. He stopped his primal urge for intimate affection.

He stopped the kiss.

And he didn't know why.

Or rather, he didn't want to care about why. He had wanted to do it. He had wanted to kiss his friend so,  _so_  badly, to hear him moan into his throat, to feel his warm body plastered right against his own cold one. To feel his hands explore every reachable crevice they could, and Jack had wanted to be able to do the same. But he didn't. He couldn't. He shouldn't. He  _wouldn't._ It was their fate. Mortals and Guardians could not mix in that way. In a way more than friendship. They lived in different worlds even if they still inhabited the same space.

It was so frustrating.

Jack wasn't even an official Guardian and for all he knew he never would be. He should just screw the rules, screw them to the heavens. Who gives a damn if he had kissed Jamie. Would it have really been so bad if he had indulged that one time?

But of course he was kidding himself.

He wouldn't have stopped at one time. He'd have done it again. And again. And again. And again. And eventually he'd have to just break away from Jamie entirely, unable to keep their friendship under the sexual tensions. He buried his head into his pillow. It was not to be.

Mortals and Guardians could not mix.

Even if they would never love again.

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

Tanya stepped into the house a few seconds after Sandy, relishing in the warmth that the fireplace spread throughout the home. It was as if it had died while they were away, leaving Jack to his own devices, sucking out the warmth from everything that was held dear, leaving only a broken husk in its place.

"Go get your brother," Norman commanded in his thick Russian accent upon her arrival, "This be very important."

Tanya pushed a few strands of hair out of her face and nodded, back tracking out the living room and up the stairs to Jack's room.

"Jack?" She whispered after knocking on the door and walking inside. The room was frigid and she subconsciously crossed her arms to keep in some of her warmth.

"Jack?" She repeated stepping closer to the bed where her boxer clad brother lay sleeping, "Jack!" She hissed, shaking his shoulder, "Get up, we're having a meeting."

Jack groaned and curled in on himself, moving away from her touch.

"Jack! God dammit, move," Tanya sighed and grabbed his legs, pulling once forcefully and watching him tumble to the floor in a tangle of arms and legs. It would've been comical if not for the fact that A) it was two in the morning and she really just wanted to sleep B) She hadn't been trying for the better part of five minutes to wake him up and C) if he didn't look so utterly…ruined.

Tanya crouched down next to her brother and placed her hand on his shoulder, a look of concern on her face. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-are you okay?"

Jack quickly pulled himself together, replacing his downcast expression with his usual nonchalant gaze and lackadaisical smile. "I'm fine, wanna tell me what's so important at…" He glanced at the clock sitting on his desk, " Two A.M?"

"We're having a meeting and dad wants-"

"Aren't those for Guardians only?" Jack cut her off, biting back the worst of the animosity in his tone.

"Well yeah but-"

"Hmm, well I'm not one soooo…I'm going back to bed." Jack picked himself off the floor and dramatically plopped down on top of his mattress, a lazy sigh of contentment escaping his lips.

"Oh my god," Tanya ran an exasperated hand down her face, "It's about Ethan, it's a family matter now get your lazy ass out of bed and downstairs so we can finish this and I can  _finally_ go to bed."

Jack grinned turned and grinned up at her, his voice taking on a playful lilt. "Well well well, someone's got a potty mouth, is big brother Jack gonna have to bust out the bar of soap?"

Tanya rolled her eyes. "Like your so much better, now come on."

"Fine, fine, I'll be down in a sec, just let me find some pants," Jack waved her off and got back out of his bed, padding over to his chest of drawers to look for some pajama bottoms.

"What's wrong with Ethan anyway?"

Tanya shrugged. "I don't know, but he never showed up tonight."

Jack pulled on a shirt. "He didn't?"

Tanya nodded. "It's weird and…I'm worried about Sophie, he was supposed to watch her…"

"Hey, hey, come on I'm sure they're both fine," Jack said placing a half hug around her waist, "Now come on, let's see what daddy-o's got planned."

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

Jack walked down the stairs a little behind Tanya. What the  _hell_  was so important that it couldn't wait till morning? He hadn't even really gotten to sleep yet…though he wouldn't tell any of  _them_ that. Either way he was going to be a tired grumpy  _ass_  and really  _really_ didn't care. He also didn't feel like being up right now, but that of course didn't matter, the Lord of Wonder had called, who was  _he_  to deny him his presence.

Jack sighed, even his own sarcasm wasn't helping his mood at the moment. Couldn't he be a typical angst filled teenager for  _one_  night? Just be allowed to sulk in peace, a little depression never killed anyone right?

Jamie would probably disagree but-

No! No, Jamie right now. That's who he's trying to not think about, Ethan, Ethan is who he should be worried about cause…he hadn't shown up right? And that…that wasn't good, right? Right?

"Ah good you are all here." North said is his deep resonate voice.

"What'cha need daddy-o?" Jack asked plopping down on the couch as if he didn't have a care in the world, though in all honesty he had more than enough problems to worry bout.

"Ethan's missing."

"Yes, yes, I think that's been established," Jack said with a wave of his hand, "So what're we gonna do? File a missing persons report? Call the Leprechaun? Don't think that's gonna help much."

"Jack, shut up." Tooth said, "Let him speak."

Jack obeyed, closing his mouth promptly. If his mom was getting snappish it was serious.

"Thank you Jack." He turned to the rest of the group, "Ethan has vanished. Sandy can't find him and neither can the Moon."

That caught Jack's attention. Even the Moon can't find him? What the hell could that mean? Who was strong enough to bury a Guardian's presence from the creators eye?

Jack clenched his fist, "Who has him?"

North opened and closed his mouth. "Excuse me?"

"Ethan can't be dead, he's a Guardian? What aren't you telling us?"

North glanced at Jack's mother for help.

"Jack," Tooth began and Jack whipped his attention to his mother, "There's something we have to tell you…all of you."

Tooth sat down, her wings and feathers disappearing back into her skin. She sat there and took a deep breath, brushing the hair out of her eye in a very Tanya-esque manner. Or maybe that would be Tanya copying her mother in a very Tooth-esque manner. Ah, whatever it didn't really matter did it?

"Well?" Jack sat up and crossed his arms, fully awake now with the anticipation of news.

He really wasn't going to get any sleep tonight was he?

"We-we aren't the only Immortal's."

"What?" Jack gripped the side of the couch for support. Even though he was sitting he still felt like he about to fall. He couldn't have possibly heard her right.

"There's more than just us Guardians."

Jack laughed nervously. "Of course there are. I mean the Leprechaun and friends right?"

"No Jack, the  _Antitetons_."

The room fell silent as this news sunk in.

"Who are they?" Tanya asked in a small voice.

"They are us, our evil counterparts," Tooth took another breath before speaking again, and when she did it was as if the temperature in the room dropped another ten degrees…or maybe it did, considering Jack _was_ in the room.

"Long ago, long before you three were born, long before even we were created, there were the Antiteton's. They ruled through fear, through war, through chaos. They felt no remorse, doing what their intended purpose was. To make the Earth a living hell. Time passed, days, months, years, centuries until humans were at the brink of destruction. The Man on the Moon, couldn't sit by any longer, he hand helped create them you know, the humans, it's why they felt compassion and love and kindess, and so that's when he devised a plan."

Tooth paused and looked around the room, taking in the faces of her children, their faces varying from fear to shock to disbelief, and her heart ached from them. This is why she had made North promise not to tell them about the Antiteton's unless completely necessary. She didn't want to place that burden on them. She had hoped that when they had sealed them away the second time that they really would be gone. But of course that was too much to hope for.

What lays in the darkness only rots further.

Then molds and multiplies.

Only then to strike again harder than before.

Tooth looked on, before sadly continuing. "He created us, the first Guardians, me, your father, and the original Sandman, and sent us out to stop them. There was only one at the time, Pitch, and even with just a single man we had enough trouble. Once we finally locked him back up in his hole we released the Man on the Moon and from there issued an era of human productivity and innovation namely the Renaissance to now."

Tooth finished and Jack scrunched his brow, there was still something she wasn't telling them. Parts of the story just weren't adding up. She had said that Grandaddy Moon had been imprisoned, but she hadn't said how. She had said at the time there had been only one, but that implied that there was more. She had  _said_ a lot but she still managed to leave out who created the Antiteton's in the first place.

Just what was she so afraid of?

Why wouldn't she just give them the whole picture.

Jack looked back to his mother, took in her worried expression, her heartbroken eyes. This was a secret she didn't want to share with them. And it was tearing at her insides.

Jack sighed, he couldn't get more out of her, not right now, probably not ever, he couldn't bear to hurt her more than she was already hurting herself.

"So what do we do?" Jack asked, finally breaking the silence.

Tooth opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by North. "We find them. And then we make them regret ever leaving their hole." He spat, his Russian accent making him sound even angrier.

Jack grinned. "Sounds like a plan."

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

Vanity was filing her nails when Pitch returned. She glanced up momentarily, barely letting him know she had sensed him before speaking.

"Lover boy's up if you want to see him," She paused her filing and used it to point to the end of the hall, bringing up the other hand to admire her work, pursing her lips as she did so. She had filed them to points he noted.

"Who's to say I do," Pitch replied, nonchalantly taking off his coat and laying it on the black couch beside him. They had a lot of black he noticed, he should probably get a splash of color in here…maybe some grays…or red? Maybe even purple.

"Admiring your décor?" Vanity said in an amused tone, Pitch glanced back at her, his slicked black hair falling slightly to the side as he did so, "You know  _I_ wanted more color, should've listened huh?"

Pitch sighed, he wasn't going to get into that with her, it was usually best to just ignore her argumentative prodding. "Where's…what's he calling himself now? Jason? Luke?"

"He just changed it to Andrew."

Pitch made a face. "Well that's the worst one yet."

"I know right? I told him it was awful but  _nooo_ , he wouldn't listen to me, insisted that we both just call him Andrew now," Vanity exclaimed, her attention already set back on filing her nails, the other hand this time.

"What even was…is his real name? I can't remember, too many centuries."

Vanity scoffed. "Hell if I know,  _I_ was made after him, he had already started the name game thing by then."

Pitch let out an exasperated sigh. "Whatever just where is he?"

"Probably the garage knowing him, came back looking pissed, with a capital P, like really, I have no idea what's eating at his ass…" She paused, and smirked, "Maybe he's found a boyfriend?"

Pitch laughed, "Andrew finding a boyfriend? Unlikely, he's not like you, miss  _let me fuck every single thing that moves._ "

Vanity gasped, fake hurt written all over her face, "Why sir, I take offense to that."

"No you don't, I don't even think you have the capacity for love."

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"I suppose."

"I'll go get them," Vanity said after a moment, putting her file away, and pulling her hair back into a ponytail, "I'm assuming you want to have a meeting with mummy dearest."

"Thank you Vanity, you've been a doll."

"Yes of course, Unkie."

"Unkie?" Pitch made a gagging noise in the back of his throat.

"Don't push you're luck, I could make you go get them."

"Okay okay, I'll just sit here."

"Good Unkie," She cooed before walking out the room.

God did he have his hands full.

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

Ethan was bouncing a ball against the wall when Vanity walked in with a hooded boy behind her.

"What?" He asked, refusing to look at them. They may have his heart, and have him prisoner but he still had his will…at least for the moment, and he was going to use every ounce of it he could.

"Pitch wants us in Center Square."

"You mean the living room?"

"No, I mean the Center Squa-""Yes, she means the living room," The boy with the hood spoke for the first time, a rich baritone voice with a regal authority that couldn't be ignored, compelling even when you didn't want it to be. Ethan turned as Vanity shot the boy a look.

"She's not really with the times, you'll have to excuse her," The boy said, not moving from his spot by the doorframe. Ethan squinted, trying to make out the face under the hood but couldn't, the best he could make out was the few strands of red hair that managed to escape the lip of it.

Vanity scoffed, "I am very with the times Andrew."

"No you aren't, going out to raves every Saturday and then having massive orgies does not constitute with being with the times."

"It most definitely does, when was the last time you got laid you stiff?"

Andrew didn't respond to that.

"That's what I thought."

"Well I'm not coming." Ethan said in the pause that ensued

"What?" Vanity brought her attention back to Ethan.

"He say's he's not coming with you to the  _living room_ ," If Ethan didn't know any better, he'd swear that Andrew was half smiling when he said that.

"Oh yes he is," She turned to Ethan, "Oh yes you are."

She stomped into the room and grabbed Ethan by the arm, her nails digging into it painfully. He winced.

"Filed them just for you, you lackadaisical son of a bitch." Vanity growled as she dragged him through the hall and to the  _"Center Square"._

"Oh good for you, you can use more than two syllable words," Ethan spat back.

Vanity stumbled and Ethan banged his head on the ground, "Ow! Watch it!"

"Oops, I tripped."

"Bitch you did that on purpose."

"Do you two ever stop bickering? You sound like an old married couple, and you've only known each other for what three hours?"

"Shut up!" The two yelled at him.

"Yeesh, lighten up," Andrew looked up…or at least Ethan thinks he did, "And Vanity let him up, we're here."

"Huh? Fine."

Vanity let him go and Ethan got to his feet, rubbing his head as he did so, before walking into the  _living room._ He refused to call it Center Square or whatever the heck Vanity called it.

"What do you want?" Ethan asked as he approached Pitch.

"Oh, I'm hurt, I thought I'd get a better welcome than that _, dear_."

"Well you thought wrong, just because I'm technically married to you doesn't mean I have to like it."

"You seemed to enjoy it plenty last night, asking me to, what was it, 'fuck you harder'?" He said imitating Ethan's sex induced voice.

Ethan turned red, "Just tell me why I'm here so I can go back to my…room."

"Fine, fine, since you asked so nicely," Pitch motioned for them to come closer, "It's time for you to meet our maker."

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

_Jamie ran a shaky hand up Jack's chest, admiring the feel of his friends lightly muscled chest from under his shirt. Jack sighed, and Jamie looked up, nervously licking his lips. Jack shivered…which was weird for him, considering he didn't get cold, but what did he care? That simple innocent gesture sent tingles through his entire body._

" _What do you want?" Jack asked bringing a hand up to rest on the brunettes cheek._

" _I-I would like to kiss you again…if that's okay," Jamie looked down and Jack smirked, pulling the boy on top of him closer._

_Close enough that they could kiss._

" _It's totally fine Jamie," Jack whispered before kissing him again._

_Jack felt Jamie smile, his mouth opening a crack, and took the opportunity to stick his tongue inside. Jamie moaned into the kiss and ran his other hand up his chest, while the other ran down his leg._

_Jack pressed himself closer to the taller boy and deftly flipped them over so Jack was straddling his hips, before leaning back in to intrude on his friends mouth. It was messy and hot and cold and painful and sensual and sexy and amazing._

_There was a lot of biting, and gasping and the occasional licking and the whole hot cold effect they're bodies gave each other was just making the whole moment all the more intense. It was almost too much to take really._

" _Take off your shirt," Jack gasped out after a few minutes of heated kissing, the musky scent of sweat and arousal filling the air._

" _Uhm okay," Jamie fumbled with his glasses, trying to take them off, before moving to his shirt. Jack let out and exasperated sigh and moved Jamie's hands away before helping him out of his shirt, copying the action himself a moment later._

_Jamie stared and Jack smirked, bending down to bite and suck on Jamie's neck, his other hand running up his leg to his crotch. He gave it a light squeeze._

_Jamie gasped._

_Jack smirked and did it again, this time though licking a trail down to his nipple._

_Jamie moaned his name and pressed closer to Jack, holding onto him tightly, his arms going weak and falling back onto the bed, mumbling incoherent phrases as Jack moved lower, biting and kissing and licking and having his dirty way with him._

" _Fuck," Jamie gasped out._

" _Enjoying yourself are we?" Jack asked from where he was currently licking down Jamie's happy trail._

_Down to a happy ending._

" _Y-Yes, I, ah, am, I would like it very much if you would conti-ah-ue," Jamie's breath hitched, temporarily going up an octave when Jack bit at the flesh just above his pant line._

" _Well, I've had enough foreplay for now, so…" Jack undid Jamie's pants, pulling them and his briefs down in one fail swoop, before moving down, his mouth reaching to encompass his friend in a completely strange and new way._

_A beautiful one._

That of course was interrupted by his oh so punctual alarm clock.

Jack groaned and smacked his clock back into sleep, before opening one eye lazily and checking the time. Seven am, of course it would be, the thing never failed to be punctual. The story of his life, one misfortune after another.

Jack sighed and sat up, he'd have to meet Jamie in thirty minutes so they could walk to school.

Jamie…

Jack glanced down at his lap.

Well that was another problem that wasn't going to be solved right now.

Fuck his life.

Fuck it to the high heavens.

Preferably with Jamie in the picture somehow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO YEAH DID YOU ALL LIKE IT? DID YOU LIKE MY JACKIE MOMENT? AND MY SORRY;S? I HOPE SO CAUSE LIKE I FEEL REALLY BAD ANYWAY!
> 
> 1) WILL UPDATE AGAIN WHEN BETA'D IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT DON'T READ IT YET, THOUGH I HOPE MY GRAMMAR ERRORS ARENT TOOO BAD W/O HER D;
> 
> 2) AGAIN I'M SOOOOOO SORRY FOR THE DELAY BUT SCHOOL AND STUFF IS LIKE KILLER I DONT HAVE A GROOOVE YET I NEED LIKE BREAKS 24/7 TO DO THIS STUFF LOL
> 
> 3) LOVE JACK AND JAMIE
> 
> 4) ANYONE WATCH TEH ANIME K? I FREAKING LOVE IT!
> 
> 5) COME TWEET WITH ME! U CAN FIND IT ON MY PROFILE


	9. Lady of the Deep

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Just a small warning, this chapter is unbeta'd and probably won't be for awhile cause Kat has some personal issues to attend to at the moment, so I hope you all don't mind and KAT I HOPE EVERYTHING GET'S BETTER FOR YOU SOON D; hmmmm I think this chapter's song should be Dead in the Water and Hanging on from Ellie's Halcyon album. They fit the mood perfectly I think~ Anyway ENJOY!

Smoke rose to the top of the cavernous room, rising to the shadows, gray touching gray, cracks meeting mist, kissing the cobble-stoned surface, its lips a gentle ash mark on the ceiling. Ethan coughed, shifting slightly, his tense pose relaxed for a moment on one of the plush black leather couches in the room, an almost sickly sweet tang in the air. A smell vaguely reminiscent of cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg. But earthier. Stronger. Soothing. Seductive.

Vanity lay across from him, lounging on the couch, her pale form tinted green in the light of the fire, her dress hugging her curves in just the right places, her lips pursed in a way that said,  _I know I'm bad ass and I know you like it, so come over here and see if you can take it._  It was infuriating that she could pull that off so well.

Andrew sat beside her on a matching leather chair, one that put him at an angle that completed three fourths of the circle, his feet on the circular blood red rug. A deep crimson. A seductive cherry. A red that spoke of passion and violence. One that merged with the color of his hair in a sadistic symphony of color.

The fourth couch, really just another plush back chair, was empty; the figure that normally occupied it stood in front of the flames. He turned, his eyes meeting Ethan's, and grinned, grinned his teeth filled, feral, psychotic grin. The one that sent shivers down his spine.

And he didn't know if that was a bad thing.

Pitch turned back to the flames, his profile dancing menacingly in the firelight, the fire distorting his already sinister appearance.

"It's time," Pitch raised his hands and the fire burned brighter, sparking a wild dance of shadows, a dance he controlled. Ethan sat stock still, hardly daring to breath, his muscles tensed to the point he feared they'd snap. That's right. Fear.

It wafted around them, darkening the room; a chorus of shadows. An orchestra of despair. Fear so thick it was almost palpable. Ethan licked his lips, and wiped the palms of his hands on his jeans, his fingers trembling slightly. That's what they were using to call the Mother. The lady of the deep. Gaea. Fear fueled her power.

Fear and death.

Vanity stood and uncapped a small glass vial, a purple mist escaping it as she whispered, coaxing, begging, demanding, controlling. Sweet and Sour. Light and Dark. Two sides of the same coin. Two inseparable entities woven so tightly that to cut one was to destroy the other.

Wails filled the room. Purple mixed with Black, shadow mixed with mist, death merged with fear. Vanity kept whispering, her voice a musical crescendo of pain. Pitch joined in, despairingly low, his baritone voice an a-tonal harmony to her own. The fire flickered. It burned. It spiraled. The voices of the Antitetons grew louder. No longer whispers. Wails joined the chorus. Sound grated sound. Song grated song. Love fought hate.

The flame went out.

The voices rose ever higher.

Black flickers. Sweet memories. A cacophonous dance. Purple embers. An explosion. Black light. Purple shadows. A woman rose from the mist. Born from the earth itself. Dazzlingly beautiful. Threateningly quiet. Ethan's breath caught.

_Gaea._

The wailing stopped, Vanity and Pitch lowered their hands, their voices quieting to a murmur.

Then silence.

Ethan didn't move, didn't blink, just sat on the couch gripping the sides so tightly the leather was threatening to rip. Gaea turned to all of them, regarding them softly, her eyes a kaleidoscope of color shifting from greens to browns to reds to blues, constantly, as if it were scared to stick to one hue. She looked at the group, looked at the silent boy with the hood, at the girl in the almost transparent dress, the man in the crisp black suit and finally, she looked at him, her gaze locking with his. He gulped. This lady with her billowing wavy brown locks was the most terrifying person he had ever encountered. She inspired even more fear than Pitch.

"Do you know who introduced mortality to humans?" She said, finally breaking the silence. The enamored silence. The  _awed_  silence, "It wasn't to punish Adahm or Ehve. It wasn't God. There is no God. No heaven. No hell. There is but me and my creations. Me and this Earth."

Her voice was soft but resonate, as if the walls and ground were her own personal speakers, inflected with a strange accent. The accent of the earth. One so ancient only her mouth could produce it, only her tongue could caress the words in that fashion. Bold. Daring. Sensual.

"No," Gaea paused, her eyes still boring into Ethan's, "Indeed it was I. I gave them that gift. I gave them the right to death, opening those doors and letting terror run free. My brother did not wish this to be, he wanted our poor creations to be our equal, to be made immortal like ourselves, but no, I couldn't allow that. I was to be a goddess. Praised. Adored. Feared."

Her gaze turned steely and her voice suddenly reverberated with an almost nauseating quality. "So I locked him away in the moon, trapping him where he could do no damage to me and my plans. I gloated in my victory, thinking it was over, and created my first true children. The beings I would dare to hold close to my heart. The  _Antitetons_."

For a moment her gaze flicked away from Ethan's to gaze at her…"children" before turning back to him with more anger than ever before. "But my brother would not be kept down. He would not sleep quietly, he created his own immortal creatures. He created the  _Guardians_."

She broke her gaze with Ethan and looked behind him, beyond him, through him to another time and place. "They were merciless, there was only my poor Pitch against all three of those wretched beasts, there was no hope for him to win. He was outnumbered, over powered and against the wall. There was nothing to be done but to be locked away. Away like my brother was." She glared, her eyes flashing a red that called for blood, "How he had been."

"And now," Gaea took a breath, "One of their  _spawn_ sits before me." She spat out the words, venom dripping off each and every one of them making Ethan want to hide, "In  _my_  domain.  _Alive_  even! What reason is there for this!"

The walls shook and chunks of rock began falling from the ceiling. Yeah, Ethan was getting  _really_  scared now. He had no idea their creator had been Gaea, the fucking earth for crying out loud! He'd pissed off the _earth_! His home! The planet he had been inhabiting for the past twenty one years, now officially wanted to kill him. That was just excellent.

Ethan stole a glance at Pitch, he didn't know why, he couldn't possibly be expecting  _protection_  from him could he? Hoping with all his heart Gaea wouldn't notice the look. But of course she did. Her head instantly whipped to her son's, fixing him with a withering glare, one Ethan thinks probably could've incinerated someone if they were human.

"What have you done." She growled out, the ground vibrating with her anger, her tone making the question a statement, a command, a demand to know the truth.

Pitch shrugged like there was nothing at all to worry about. "I Bound him."

Her mouth clenched, the vines that acted as her dress moved angrily across her body, her rage a physical manifestation in the room around them. "Give him to me."

Pitch glanced at Ethan, almost as an after thought before grinning. "No."

"What?" The vines stopped moving across her body.

"I think I'll keep him, I've grown rather…attached," He winked at Ethan.

Gaea's voice shook. "You dare disobey your mother?"

Pitch tapped his chin as seriously contemplating an answer. "Well you do intend to kill him don't you? Why would I give up my newest plaything?" He sighed, "Besides he can be useful for our cause, you still don't know where your brother resides do you? Ethan can get that information…and much more."

Gaea stopped raging and considered this. "Then he may not be a Guardian in my presence."

Pitch scoffed. "Well you'll have to deal with it, you can't take away his powers."

"Actually I can." She stretched out a hand. "Give it to me."

Pitch looked shocked and he gulped, clearly this wasn't going the way he had planned, not at all if the sudden stiffness and apologetic glance were anything to go by. Could it be that Pitch really did care about him? Could he even dare to go down that road? Would it change anything if he did?

No. It couldn't. He couldn't. He wouldn't.

"Uhm-"

"He's just as capable without his powers, is he not? Besides they can't expect him to come back unharmed, that would just be suspicious, they wouldn't trust him, he couldn't get close to them could he?"

"They're family he's already close to them."

"It's either this or I kill him, your choice."

Pitch looked back at Ethan. Really looked at him. Took in his gray hair, his green eyes, the muscles, the tattoos and…the fear. The fear that for once didn't send a tremor of pleasure through him, but instead dread. He truly had grown attached to the boy. Pitch turned back to his mother and sighed, reaching into his pocket before producing a glowing green orb. Ethan's center. His heart. His mark as a Guardian. The thing that was entrusted to him to protect.

Gaea held out her hand and Pitch held out the orb, wincing as it dropped into her hand. What he was doing was just so horribly  _wrong_. Even by his standards, and he'd done a lot of wrong things- and still did-in his life. He was so glad her form was still contained in the flames, in her prison, waiting for a new host…at least for now.

"Good boy." She turned her attention back to Ethan and gestured with a crooked finger.

 _Come_ , it said.

Ethan gulped and looked at Pitch, who nodded softly. He had no choice, Ethan had to go to her. He had to.

Or he would be destroyed.

Ethan took a shaky breath and stood, steeling his eyes, steeling his soul, steeling his being. He would not show fear. He would not back down, he would remain true to himself until the last moment. He would not give Gaea the satisfaction of knowing just how truly scared he was, how utterly terrified, how completely alone he felt. No. He would be defiant until the end.

He walked forward, slow measured steps, nothing too fast, nothing too slow, nothing that would show him as anything but confident; walking towards the pedestal. Towards the flames. Towards Gaea. She smiled down at him as he approached, a small sadistic smile that spoke more than a thousand words ever could.

"Ah, Easter Bunnymund Frost, Guardian of Hope, come to finally rest in the world," She murmured, stroking the orb in her hand. Ethan shivered, feeling her touch inside of him, stroking him, probing at his secrets, his innermost thoughts. It was too intimate, too personal. He wanted it to stop.

"There will be another," Ethan managed, after the first wave of her touch passed through him, "You can't stop the flow of succession, another will take my place."

Gaea stopped stroking and gripped the orb tight. "But that's where you're wrong, Succession can only occur when the original is there to give up the power to another, it's a two person process, a symbiotic relationship…and you…you're all alone. There will be no one to take your place."

She gripped the orb tighter, and cracks began to appear on its glossy surface, fissures, stress lines, pressure points. Ethan gasped, the air being knocked out of him. He felt like he was suffocating, like a gigantic hand was clenching his insides, invading him, twisting him into something else. He fell to his knees, a deep internal white hot pain scouring his insides, traveling through his bones, his muscles, his blood, everything. He crumpled to ground and coughed, his body no longer his to control, seizuring at an unstoppable pace. His eyes rolled to the back of his head. Tears streamed out of his eyes. White hot agony spread through his soul. He moaned in despair. This was true pain. This was what it was to lose your identity. To not be sure of who or what you are.

To be broken.

The orb snapped. Ethan screamed, his vision growing red, his back arching at an inhuman angle. Green mist fled the scene. Pitch dropped to Ethan's side. Gaea smiled triumphantly at her success. The orb dropped to the ground. Broken. Gray. Dead. Hope was no more.

"You killed him!" Pitch shouted, resting a hand on the young mans chest and glaring at his mother…no…his  _creator_. She didn't truly feel for any of them, they were but pawns to be used to be used for her own ambitions.

"He is not dead, he is mortal. Human. Powerless. Tell me do you not feel his heartbeat?"

Pitch turned his attention back to Ethan and moved his hand up to rest over his heart. There it was, just as she said, the slight beating of his now human heart. Pitch let out a shaky breath. A relieved breath. A breath he didn't expect to ever have to let out. He never expected to feel this way over anyone, let alone a Guardian. It was strange and new and…dare he say, it was love?

Gaea turned her attention towards Vanity and Andrew. "It is time, my plan must be ready by the Winter Solstice. The Bennett children…break them."

Vanity grinned. "Sounds like I'm going back to school then huh mum. Always's loved those places so much negative energy to tap into."

She turned to Andrew who hadn't said a word the entire time. "Come on you stiff, it's time to get ready."

Andrew's form tensed. "Fine. Meet me in the garage in thirty minutes." He said before walking quickly out the room. Vanity sighed and looked at her nails before following.

Gaea turned back to Pitch who was still cradling Ethan almost…tenderly. She made a face. Defective. That's what Pitch and And- no Fabian were. They had the capacity to feel the same way human's did. To feel love. Joy. Happiness. A mistake. One she will never make again. One she didn't make with Vanity. One she'll be sure to remove upon her resurrection.

"It is best you take him out of my presence. It is sticking up the room. I expect answers upon my next visit," She turned from her child and with that the flames devoured her, traveling up the vines, to her hair, until nothing remained.

Nothing but a shattered orb and the burnt out embers of a fire.

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

"Yoooo! Jayman, wazzup?"

Jamie turned and sputtered, almost dropping the book in his hand, as Jack draped himself over him, one arm lazily hanging over his shoulder a nonchalant grin on his face, his bright blue eyes shining with unrivaled mirth.

Jamie scowled, closing his book with a snap, before turning his head a fraction to the left, the small movement putting him face to face with his white haired friend."Ever heard of  _Harpokrates,_ Jack?"

Jack grinned. "No."

"Well that's not a surprise."

Jack wagged a finger in his face. "Now, now Jamie, no need to be critical so early in the morning."

Jamie looked offended. "I am  _not_  being critical."

" 'Course you are, it's in your nature," Jack said with a non caring wave of his hand, like this fact was just another daily fact of life. Jamie was critical…At least to Jack.

Jamie huffed and pulled at the straps of his backpack, pushing his glasses back onto the bridge of his nose, before taking a few meaningful steps forward. Or rather  _tried_ to. It was a fairly difficult task to accomplish with Jack purposely putting his weight in the opposite direction. Jack smiled, smiled his oh so perfect white, intoxicating, smile, the one that forever made Jamie's heart race and his mouth go dry. The one that never failed to fill him with the same joy the white haired albino always seemed to have.

"Come on," Jamie grunted out, turning around and half dragging Jack down the street, "Stop acting like the  _Sword of Damocles_ is hanging over your head every time we go to school, who knows maybe you'd enjoy the distraction if you applied yourself," Jamie looked away for a moment before mumbling, " It would relieve much of my anxiety if I knew you  _weren't_  going to get into trouble ."

Jack laughed. "Are you sure about that?"

"Yes."

"Positive?"

"Most definitely."

Jack wiggled his eyebrows. "We could skip you know."

"Not happening."

Jack pouted. "But you never have any fun."

"We had  _fun,_ last night in case you forgot," Jamie almost growled.

Jack flinched and mumbled. "I was kinda hoping you had."

Jack straightened and began to walk by Jamie's side, an awkward silence falling over the two. Jamie winced, internally slapping himself for bringing it up in the first place. He was supposed to be the mature one, not the one going for the low, overly human, over rated metaphorical groin shots. Some genius he was when he was just as susceptible to his stupid teenage feelings as the next testosterone high, hormone crazed jock. He hadn't meant to sound so harsh but he couldn't help it. He was still angry. You know, slightly, just  _slightly, hurt_ by Jack's reaction the night before. Or maybe he was just angry at himself for being dumb enough to believe Jack had wanted him.

They were both viable options.

Jamie sighed and re opened the book he held in his hand, devouring the pages of the text, his Latin book he noted, almost not consciously realizing it. He didn't even care, he was just filled with a sudden insatiable hunger to read, a hunger to distract himself from his own thoughts. One that that hadn't been there before. One that had only manifested in the minutes it took for the two to walk through the entrance of Burgess High.

He read.

His eyes moved at an almost inhuman speed.

He read.

He burned the words into his mind.

He read.

He scoured the pages for their knowledge.

 _Terra_ Earth,  _Glacieus_ Ice,  _Ignis_ Fire,  _Arma mortem ad vitam aeternam_ To arms to death to life eternal,  _Flamis acribus addictis_ Descend to the flames of hell… Wasn't that great? It wasn't even eight o'clock and he was already ready to lose himself in work. Mounds of it. Heaps of it. Carts of it. Anything to keep his mind from straying down the path that held his emotions.

Going down that route was nothing if not dangerous.

Unfortunately it was too late.

Too much so.

He was already much too far gone on that path.

Ever since Jack entered the scene. Jack, his one and only love. Jack the love that will never be. Jack Frost, the one who stole his heart.

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

Jack glanced at his friend. Saw him putting up a wall, losing himself in more work. More books. More things to just drown out his problems. It was his way to cope with the hell that had become his life. The way he maintained his sanity.

Something he wanted to fix.

Jack slowed his steps as they entered school, trying to act casual as he asked is next question. "Hey Jamie, why don't you sleep over at my place tonight? It's been awhile since you have."

"Hmm, in a minute Jack."

Jack sighed, he wasn't listening, he was off in his own little book world. Wonderful. Wait…it  _was_ wonderful. He could get this to work to his advantage, all he had to do is get Jamie to say yes.

Jack took out his cell phone, a mischievous grin on his face as he clicked the record button. "So…Jamie, about that sleep over, you down?"

"My mom has cookie's in the fridge."

"It's a yes or no question Jay."

"Toilet paper."

Jack groaned. This was more difficult than he thought. Why couldn't he just get a straight answer out of spacey Jamie? Was that really too much to ask? It must be, there's no other explanation for this to be a trial. Those answers don't even make  _sense_. What the hell was going on in his little genius head anyway?

Wait.

Scratch that, he didn't want to. He'd probably get lost after the second turn.

Jack took a breath and tried again. "Sleep over yes or no?" Wow each time he was asking it got shorter. What's with  _that_? If he keeps getting  _this_ exact with it there won't  _be_  a question to ask.

"Pass me the Oreo's."

Jack bit his lip, a tiny trail of frost starting to surround his feet. This was getting irritating.

Jack grabbed his friends arm. "JAMIE!"

"Wha- YES?!"

Jack grinned. "Thank you."

"What? 'Thank you' for what?" Jamie asked looking at his friend with a confused expression, his glasses just slightly off center from when he startled him. Jack gulped.

Adorable.

Wait what? No. Bad Jack! No sexy day-dreams about Jamie during the school hours. That's just inappropriate!

So instead he fixed his friend's glasses.

He didn't miss the blush that came to Jamie's face when he did so.

Jack gulped.

Jamie licked his lips.

Annnnd…

The school doors flew open.

Cause of course that would have to happen. The world just hated the cosmic wonder that was Jack and Jamie huh? If there's an Eros in the world he must really enjoy messing with them. Ha! Jamie would be proud! See, Jack  _does_ know  _some_ Greek Mythology…even if some of it is more true than not.

Hmm…wait… _is_  there an Eros around? He seems to vaguely remember a cousin or something with that title, but…eh, he can look it up later, in the mean time he has to find out who the fuck decided to interrupt his precious Jamie time.

Oh that would be the skank with the purple hair. Or rather purple highlighted hair, her actual hair was black. And she was with…Mason? Oh. Well that was great. That's right, GET THE HELL OUT OF THE PICTURE YOU JERK!

Jack and Jamie subconsciously gravitated closer together as they walked over.

"Jamie, can you take her to the office? She's new and need's to get her schedule."

Jamie jumped slightly at the sound of his voice, knocking his glasses off center again. "Uhm sur-"

"Why can't you do it, Mason?" Jack interrupted, he was getting that bad vibe again. From both of them, he didn't trust her.

"I need to put my books away and hang up these posters," He said gesturing to the large portfolio next to him, "As  _vice president_ of the student council-" Jack scoffed,  _more like the Elitist Society of Adults in Training…or the new U.S.S.R. well you know minus Jamie of course_ , "-it's only natural that Jamie be the one to show her around."

Jack opened and closed his mouth, he had no argument for that.

"What's on them anyway?" Jack asked, inclining his head to the case.

"Winter formal info, and a sign up sheet for volunteers to help set up the event."

"Why would anyone want to help with that?"

"They get two free tickets, to the dance."

The skank clapped her hands together, showing off her sharply filed nails. Creepy, "Oooo, sounds fun, let me sign up, I need to meet new people anyway."

"I'll sign up too!" Jack exclaimed as Mason took out the sheet. Like hell he was going to let freaky skanky be around Jamie without him. Mason was bad enough.

"Uhm…okay," Mason looked surprised that Jack was interested.

Jack smirked. Serves him right, never underestimate Jack Frost. He's got school spirit too.

Sorta.

The girl, Vanity Plague, he read from the list, handed it to him to sign.  _Jack Frost_ , he wrote. There. Over and done. He handed it back to Mason.

"Great, see you after school."

"Wait what?"

"We have a lot to do to make Jamie's idea work, we're going to be working all week."

Crap. Of course there'd be a catch. Jack sighed and brushed his white bangs out of his face, pasting on his signature grin. "Yep, see you then Mason."

Mason smirked evilly. "See you then."

Then he walked away to post the posters for the Nutcracker Masquerade. And leaving the creepy freaky skank Vanity Plague in their wake.

"Well, I'll speak with you later, Jack. I have to help Vanity get her bearings now."

"Yeah…yeah okay."

Jack sighed, this was going to be a long day.

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

Ethan woke up to the feel of a cold cloth on his forehead and arms wrapped around his waist. He opened his eyes slowly, taking in his aches, the hollow feeling inside of him like something important was missing. That's right…something was. His center. He wasn't a Guardian anymore. He was human. Like Jamie. Like Sophie. Broken. Incomplete. He took a shaky breath and a tear escaped him, one lone stupid traitor tear.

He was nothing.

The figure next to him stirred and Ethan turned his head. Pitch. That's right, he had tried to help him. Tried to get him spared. He hadn't known his mother could take away his power, but if he hadn't agreed Ethan would be on the ground cold, not breathing, no blood flowing through him. His life would be over, he would be dead.

"You're awake," The older man whispered, pulling him closer, tighter, probably not even realizing he was doing so.

Ethan took a shaky breath, there was only one thing he needed to know. "Why did you save me?"

For a moment Pitch said nothing. Just contemplated his answer, his mouth opening and closing, before saying. "Because, I love you."

With that Ethan closed the distance between them, pressing himself flush against Pitch, and caught his lips in a heated kiss. Pitch, the Antiteton of Fear. The enemy of his family.

His lover.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: ANNNNND SCENE FOR THIS CHAPTER! SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG BUT YOU KNOW SAME OL SAME OL...sooooo yeah I'm not gonna like say when i'm gonna post them anymore cause it seems like i never can keep with my deadlines D;...well mayb this one i can get up by friday sense i'm posting it on Sunday and have five days...buuuut YEAH anyway!
> 
> 1) SORRY YOU PROBABLY HATE ME FOR WHAT I DID FOR ETHAN BUT IT IS HOW IT MUST BE
> 
> 2) Anyone else hate Gaea too?
> 
> 3) Next chapter will prob have some Fluffy Jackie moments and...maybe a return of Sophie? I kinda forgot about her lol
> 
> 4)...I really don't have anything else to say besides the fact I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT AND LOOK FORWARD TO THE NEXT CHAPTER...i personally think this is one of the best written chapters so far so i hope you like the effort i put into it.
> 
> 5) Lol don't you love a jealous Jack?


	10. Poetry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY ALL SORRY FOR THE DELAY BUT MY COMPUTER SCREEN WENT KAPOOT SOO I COULDNT UPLOAD THIS CHAPTER UNTIL TODAY...OR ERR WELL FINISH IT ^^; I'LL TRY AND WRITE ANOTHER ONE FOR TOMORROW TO MAKE IT UP TO YOU ALL BUT YEAH ENJOY! I HOPE YOU LIKE IT! also sorry for any grammar/spelling errors still unbeta'd at the moment if anyone wants to fill in for Kat shoot a message lol would be muchly appreciated :3 SO YEAH ENJOY READ REVIEW SHARE UR FEELS WITH OTHERS AND HOPE YOU LIKE IT!

_Pop!_

The bubble exploded in her mouth with a satisfying squelch ( _hell yeah bitches)_ , not unlike the sound guts made when stepped on-and of course  _she would_ be an expert on that-though currently the matter of her expertise didn't matter much. She sighed, walking down the halls of Burgess High (if memory served, she honestly couldn't be bothered to remember), barely taking in the sights, barely listening to the droning voice in front of her, picking up random images like the bright fluorescent lights, or the linoleum tile patterned floors, or-of course-the rows upon rows of black lockers lining the walls.

…Bleh.

Black.

That color was making her fucking nauseous. Made her think of home. She was really starting to hate the shade and that was…frightening. It used to be her favorite next to purple.

Stupid Pitch and his black fetish…though now that was probably more of an Ethan fetish. She smirked at the thought.

Vanity sighed, following her  _ex-registering-leader-thingy-whatever-the-fuck-you-call-it_ person, now tour guide, Jamie Bennett. And of course she was. Bored. Out. Of. Her. Mind.

_Pop!_

Another bubble burst, and she grinned, it was the only satisfying thing here.

"Over here we have our cafeter-," Jamie turned and paused mid sentence, his chocolate brown eyes soft and calculating, the latter action seemingly done unbeknownst to himself, probably done as a reflex, the pause so minute she almost missed the transition. Unfortunately she was trained in keeping up with the smallest of human actions. All the things that the person themselves might not even be aware of. Anything she could glean, from a nervous tick in their hands or the route they took going from class to class. Anything that could be used against them later. "You know you're going to have to throw that out when you go to class." Jamie stated pointedly.

The bubble popped again. "What?"

"The gum, it's prohibited."

Vanity looked at him and resisted the urge to rip his throat out. Who did this kid think he was ordering  _her_ , Vanity Plague, Antiteton of  _Death_ , around? Didn't he realize that with a flick of her wrist she could make him fall to the ground gasping for air, his lungs closing up on him against his will? That if she chose, he could be sleeping six feet under? He was just a measly human, barely even worthy of existing and yet he spoke to her with awkward authority.

She sniffed, her anger barely in check. "I'm going to ignore that in favor of not ripping your head off."

Jamie raised an eyebrow at her, re-adjusting the already perfectly placed glasses on his face, his other hand balling the end of his shirt while he stared at her critically. Probing. Analyzing her reaction. Vanity stared back as long as she could but eventually was forced to look away, his calculating stare becoming too unnerving. It was like he was looking into her soul. And she didn't like what he might see.

Finally, Jamie turned away, shrugging as if that explained anything, seemingly unaffected by her comment and continued down the hall with his tour. Of course though she knew that the air of normalcy he exuded was false, that he had been affected…the rumpled edge of his shirt told it all.

_That's right, know your place human._

Vanity continued to follow, blowing bubbles as she went, the two falling back into the routine they had established moments before; Jamie gesticulated to random buildings, every movement he made with a definite purpose, nothing forced, yet still remaining awkward…unnatural. Abnormal. Almost robotic. Definitely weird. Vanity not paying attention, her focus on her own sadistic thoughts, thinking about what else she could do with a nail file. Surprisingly there was a lot she could come up with. Gouging eyes, sand papering skin, choking people. Stabbing through the hollow of one's neck.

Yeah that last one would hurt a lot.

The file wasn't exactly sharp.

She smiled. That's exactly what she'd want. To have them choking on their own blood, screaming for mercy. Oooo, she was bad. Such a bad bad girl. Maybe she could find some poor desperate sap to release her tension on.

"-and that's all there is to see," Jamie stopped in front of a classroom and ran a hand awkwardly through his hair. Cause you know. He was awkward. She couldn't stress that enough.

"This is your first period, so you should probably stay in the general vicinity, the bell should be ringing soon."

_Pop!_

Vanity licked the gum back in her mouth. "Uh huh." Thank  _god_ that was over. She didn't think she could've stood much more of him.

Jamie rocked back and forth on his heels, his bangs strewn across his face, his eyes darting to the corner of the hall on some object behind her, looking like he wanted to say something more. Or maybe like he was unsure whether or not he should.

"Go on," Vanity said with a wave of her hand, "Shoo."

Jamie bit his lip. "Uh…this…t-this happens to be my first period of the day as well…"

_Pop!_

Vanity looked down at her schedule. Twelfth Grade AP English. This kid wasn't a senior yet was he? He may be tall but he definitely didn't exude a senior's aura that screamed,  _I'm the shit, I'm better than you, I'm superior_.

Vanity scrunched her face. "This is a senior class."

Jamie rubbed the back of his neck, his shaggy caramel hair being pushed into an even more unkempt state. "Yeah,…that's correct."

"You're not a senior."

"No, I'm a junior."

"Then why are you in this class?"

Jamie looked at her. "Well, I'm a genius."

_Pop!_

Well shit. That was…surprising _. This_ kid was a genius? This  _awkward_ mass of arms and legs was a… _genius_? Jamie looked away, as if he was embarrassed by that fact. Like he didn't want to be what he was. Vanity just stared. Well shit.

"Okay, don't shoo then." Vanity turned away from him, eyes falling on someone across the hall.

A hot somebody.

A  _really_  hot somebody.

_He-llo sexy._

The boy looked up and she smirked. Vanity knew who she was doing later.

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

A gasp. A touch. The feeling of being engulfed. Protected. Loved. Cherished. Tongues against tongues. Fast. Ferocious. Angry. Spicy. Hot. Teeth clashing. Biting. Sharp pain on ones back. A drag of nails. Pure bliss. Pure joy. Pure ecstasy. Lips mold and mash. Joining. Breaking. Meeting again. A sigh. Barely contained moans. Whimpers of need. Hands run down sides. A fiery hot trail of pleasure. Raising goosebumps. Enticing skin. Initiating a response. A tight grab. A forceful push. A desperate pull. Pulling closer.

Closer.

Closer.

Closer.

Together. Almost as one. But it is not enough. He begs for more. Begs to be truly one. To be filled completely. To return to that bliss.

Legs are raised. Sensual biting. Thighs rubbed. Biceps squeezed. A smile. A thrust. A gasp. Hot pain. Throbbing within him. Relax.

Relax.

Relax.

Quick breaths. Rubbed sides. Arched back. Stillness. Fading pain. Growing pleasure. Sweet. Beautiful. Moans. Groans. Grinding against the other. Sweet, sweet bliss. Sweating bodies. Heavy, heavy musk. Manly odors. Skin against skin. A hand against his member. Faster.

Faster.

Faster.

Faster.

Pitched gasps. Grabbing closer. Red vision. Higher. Higher. Higher. More. More. More. More. Faster. Faster. Faster. Faster. Faster. Harder. Harder. Harder. Harder.

Then.

White hot climax. The ultimate pleasure. The true high. Wrenching a filthy moan.

Pitch let out a breath and stared down at the man below him.

"Ethan," He breathed.

What a beautiful name. What a glorious face. The mass beneath him stirred. His chest rising and falling rapidly with sweat as he came down from his own personal high. His own climax.

Ethan's eyes fluttered behind his lids. "Hmm?"

Pitch sighed. "Nothing."

"Mmm," Ethan moved one olive toned hand on his forehead. "Care to move? Really don't want you stuck in there."

"Yeah…sure."

Pitch slipped out slowly and Ethan winced.

"You'd think I'd be used to that by now," He grumbled.

Ethan stayed there a few more moments, waiting for his breathing to return to normal before pushing himself up on his elbows and opening his eyes.

"Now what?"

"Now you go home."

Ethan looked at him, surprised. "What?"

"Go. You have to. Remember what Gaea said? You're only alive because you can help us get information on the Man on the Moon."

Ethan made a face. "So I have to betray my family."

"If you want to live…yes."

The two lapsed back into silence, the faint  _plip plip_ of water falling from the cobbled ceiling to the gray stone floor the only sound in the room.

Ethan took a ragged breath and dropped his head in his hands. "Oh god, what am I supposed to do." He whispered.

Pitch grasped his lover's hands, pulling them away from his face and wiping a stray traitor tear from his cheek. "You do what you have to, to survive."

Ethan grabbed Pitch's hand and held it there, not letting him withdraw his touch, his hand a comforting presence in the chaos that was now Ethan's life. He stared off into space, silently contemplating what he had heard. It was live or die now. The lines of good and evil began to blur when life versus death came into the picture.

Ethan was human. Mortal. Vulnerable. Pitch had managed to save him from the worst of Gaea's wrath this time, but next time…he couldn't be sure. And…could he really count on Pitch to back him up again? What if it turned out he was just using him and threw him out after getting the info they wanted? What if all along the plan to make him human was in fact  _the_ plan and he had fallen right into their trap? Could he handle that? Could he handle that rejection? That revelation?

` Ethan bit his lip. This was no time to be thinking about that, especially not when he was still naked in bed with the man in question but still…you had to wonder right?

Could Pitch really have fallen for him?

_You do what you have to, to survive._

Exactly. You do what you have to do to survive, to keep on trucking. You had to. He must survive. He has to get his power's back and he has to protect Sophie. That was his promise to his sister. That was a promise to himself.

Ethan moistened his lips. "Okay." He said quietly, "I'll go?"

Pitch gave his hand a squeeze. "Then let's be on our way."

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

Jamie ran a hand through his shaggy caramel hair, ignoring the daggered stare he felt trying to pierce back. He knew Vanity must be having a fit to be stuck in a class that was the same as his, but oh well, it was unavoidable. She'd soon discover that they shared  _a lot_  of classes together. Jamie sighed, and scribbled something else on the paper in front of him. Another line. Another word. One minute step closer to his goal. Why does the human species have to have that insatiable need to be superior to another fellow man? It was completely unnecessary. Pointless. Destructive. He saw what came of it. War. Holocaust. Genocide. Racism. Sexism. Rape. All of it. If you traveled down the pathway's of history to the beginning you'd see that it all came down to an inferiority complex. A need to be superior.

And from there a need to defend.

This is how it starts. Jamie realized. A single person holds a grudge, festers hate, nurses it into being, and when some sort of ecologic or socio-economic/political disaster falls, BANG, they seize control and destroy everything that. Is. Not. Like. Them. Of course then that makes one think doesn't it. Makes you think that maybe it's not just a need to be superior, but a need to show off your power. A modern day version of survival of the fittest. Crush or be crushed. Destroy or be destroyed. Surrender or die. It would be the only reasonable explanation. How else could people even turn to war to solve conflict if there was not some innate bloodlust driving them onward. If it was possible to solve conflict without violence on a global scale then it would've happened by now. There have been plenty of innovations and improvements in other places, like technology or science, yet war still exists, peace doesn't reign, fear still rules the hearts of many. It's time for humans to face the facts. For now our current evolution doesn't allow it. We may say we want it but it won't happen. Peaceful resolution of conflict is out of our league.

Impossible.

But that was unfair wasn't it? Some were able to satiate their bloodlust. Some pushed through it and accomplished great things through charismatic speaking and non-violence, like Martin Luther King Jr. or Gandhi.

And of course both of them were killed.

Can't possibly have agents of change survive.

Jamie made a face and twirled a stray strand of hair around his fingertip. He really,  _really_  should get his hair cut, it truly was becoming obnoxious. He crossed a line off his paper. Subtract a line. Lose a word. Step away from the goal. Pause. Begin again. Better. Jamie glanced at the clock, ten minutes left until the teacher would call time.

Jamie smirked.

Plenty of time for him.

Jamie took a breath, closed his eyes, letting feelings wash over him, to truly _feel_ for probably the first time in years. To let his emotions cascade and flow out of him. Since his parents became these two distant, hulking, yelling landmarks in his life. A constant reminder of the brokenness of the world. It was painful to watch. It was painful to feel. It was painful to relive. But at the same time it was beautiful. A new and profound way to relieve his stress. To vent. To be human.

Another stroke, another crack, another line, another step.

_In light my tears fall_

His pains, his truths his reality he releases them unto the paper.

_Like blood they cascade_

The hell that he feels. The hurt and distrust. The pain of revived feelings

_Down my face it flows_

The release. The weight is removed. Sweet, sweet gloria, he can  _breathe_ at last.

_Like rivers of salt filled anguish_

How could he not have seen it before? How could he not have realized?

_A single blotch_

_A movement that darkens half my face_

The need to drown himself in mountains of unnecessary work was just as unhealthy as cutting himself.

_A trembling lip_

_A flare of a nostril_

Poetry. This was to be his escape. This is what makes him feel alive. This is what will let him get through the days. The months. The years. It will allow him endure.

_It falls_

Oh Sophie, why couldn't he have been there for you before now? Why was he so blind. She was only twelve she had to be suffering. And there was no one out there helping her. She was alone.

Jamie blinked and something wet hit his paper. What? He sniffed and wiped his face, glistening with water. Shattered particles of his past finally finding rest below him.

He wrote on.

_Down past the rise of my nose,_

_Sliding over the pock marked scars_

_Down the ridge of my mouth_

_Falling away to meet again at the cleft of my chin_

Blurry eyed and insecure. But it was okay. He would be okay. It all would be okay. He could endure even if his parents split up. Even if they divorced, he would be fine. He was strong. He would endure. He would be there for his sister. He would no longer be that ball and chain, hanging on over the edge of the endless abyss. He knew that it was for the best.

No matter how much it hurt.

_Away_

He would be okay.

_Away_

He would be okay.

_To be joined again by others_

Jamie laughed, a strange bubbly sensation filling him from the inside out. He couldn't hide the fact his was crying now. He could feel the looks, he could imagine the looks of pity on there faces.

But he would be okay.

_To meet a painful end below_

He really will be okay.

Jamie put down his pencil and pushed himself out of his seat. The poem was done, he completed the assignment like always. Now all he wanted to do was get away. He shakily gathered his things, sniffing, tears fogging up his glasses. Ah what an attractive mess he was wasn't he? He felt the eyes. He felt the concern. He felt the jeers. The  _Look the genius is having a mental breakdown_. Well laugh all of you, just laugh. They didn't know what he was going through. What he had been going through. Just please. Stop staring.

Stop staring. Stop staring. Stop staring. Stop staring.

All eyes on him. Boring into him. No. No. No. No. No. No.

Somehow, Jamie made it to the front of the classroom, and thrust the paper into the teachers class. He thinks he mumbled something about using the bathroom and ran out the room. He thinks the teacher said okay. He doesn't really know.

He doesn't really care.

Jamie ran blindly down the hall. He had to get away. He had to get away. He had to get away. Left. Right. Left. Right. Turn. Breath. One foot in front of the other. Auto-pilot. He stopped.

He was at the gym. How the freak had he gotten here? He looked around him. At the sweaty bodies. The waxed floors. The boys in jersey's and skin. Why was he here? He glanced sideways, towards the end of the gym where the courts were. Saw the flash of white. Saw the pale skin, shining with sweat. That signature conspiratory smirk that said that the both of you were on the inside of some great joke no one else knew. He saw those crystal blue eyes.

Jamie gulped and took a step closer unconsciously. This was why he had come here. This is what he needed.

Jack.

Jack looked up, (had he said his name aloud?) his eyes instantly meeting his, the albino's expression flickering to one of worry. Jamie couldn't hear what Jack was saying but he saw him call time out and walk over to the coach to tell him something, before running over to Jamie.

"Walk with me," Was all Jack said, grabbing Jamie by the hand, not really leaving room for argument, though Jamie had no problem doing so. The moment was strangely reminiscent of the night before…

Jack dragged him along, around corners, through pavilions, Jamie still sniffling though his tears had stopped for the moment.

"W-where are we g-going," Jamie choked out.

"Shh…you'll see," Jack gave his hand a squeeze, Jamie blinked the rest of the tears out of his eyes. His glasses were still blurry. He needed to fix that.

The two made a couple more seemingly random turns, went up a staircase and opened a door before finally stopping. Jamie squinted and took off his glasses. He had no idea where they were, just that they were somewhere open and the wind was on there backs. Jamie wiped off his glasses with the bottom of his shirt and placed them back on his face.

Ah. The roof.

Jack smirked, smirked that stupidly sexy smirk that turned his heart to slush, thank god his face was already rosy from crying. "Come on." Jack took his hand again and sat them down on the ground.

Jamie sniffed.

Jack waited.

Jamie fiddled with the rumpled end of his shirt, his eyes on the sky, his breathing returning to normal.

Jack waited.

Jamie took a breath. "It was my parents. Or it was the poem, or maybe it's just that I'm a messed up kid," He said still looking at the sky.

"I don't know what it is. Probably all three, that would be my luck wouldn't it? Screwed in the head. Screwed in the heart. Screwed by the system. Screwed all around." Jamie laughed, he hadn't talked like a regular teenager in ages, just kept up appearances. People had expected him to be smart, they expected him to use "big" words where others used small.

And people fell into other's expectations. They did what you expected. It felt good to just let it all out.

"I don't even know what I'm saying anymore. Am I even making sense? This is such a load of bull huh? What a great irony, in the end I realize I shouldn't have worked so hard to please, it's killed me huh?" He was crying again, his voice cracking, his words shaking, "I mean, w-what even is  _m-me_ anyway? It's just a w-word. Just a freaking two letter word that's used to label. To pose some sort of individ-u-uality. Just another fucking la-abel. And for  _what_?  _Nothing_! No one gains any more than the n-next from it!" He's yelling now. He knows it and doesn't care. Yelling and crying. Sadness morphing into anger. Anger at how the world has just messed him up. Made him broken merchandise.

"Just gives people more to hate. Genius. That's 'me' isn't it? Ha! Fine! Laugh at it! Go on! What else is there? Obsessive? Quirky? Robotic? Awkward? Weird?  _Gay_?" Jamie's standing now pacing back and forth arms flailing randomly. "It's all me! All of it! And none of it!" He punches the wall and winces, sliding back down to the floor, his anger's gone. All that's left is an emptiness. And the sickening realization he just came out to his best friend. The guy he's had a crush on since he was freaking  _ten_. Jamie's crying again. Crying cause his hand freaking hurts. Crying because now his best friend must think he's a freak. Crying because he has no one.

Cold arms wrap around him and he instinctively folds back into the touch. Into the presence that is Jack.

"Jamie…Jamie, look at me."

Jamie doesn't move, he doesn't want to see what's on his face. He doesn't want Jack to see what's happening inside of  _him_.

"Jamie, look at me," Jack moved a hand up to Jamie's face and gently coaxed him to look in his direction.

Jamie bit his lip. Jack's heart clenched, he looked so broken, the years of suppression had all finally broken free, exploding into this episode. Something passed across Jamie's face when he looked at him. A look of utter defeat, like he had nothing left to lose. Jack held him tighter.

Jamie kissed him.

Jack froze. Jamie's lips pressed against his. Desperate. Angry. Longing. Ready to concede defeat. This is the end. This is the end. This is the end. That was the mantra playing is Jamie's head. He had nothing to lose, if Jack was going to hate him then he would indulge himself this once. He waited for Jack to push away. To scream at him. Probably punch him and run and never look back.

But he didn't.

Jack kissed back.

It was slow at first, his cold melding with his hot, but soon that was forgotten, their tongues mashing together, Jack pouring in all the comfort and care he could through his lips, ignoring the warning lights going off in his head. Not caring about customs or laws. Right now Jamie was his and that's all that mattered.

Fire and Ice.

Anger and love.

Hands traveled up the other's shirt. Jamie bit Jack's lip, his tongue traveling across it sending a wave of pleasure through his body, barely suppressing a moan. Hair was fisted in hands, Jack's bangs fell onto Jamie's face tickling his nose, their bodies as close to each other as they could be while still wearing clothes. Jack's tongue traveled to the edges of Jamie's mouth devouring what was him. What made him his shaggy haired puppy dog genius. The unique taste that was distinctly Jamie. Cinnamon and sugar.

Jack cupped Jamie's face, Jamie's tongue putting his own to shame, who would've thought Jamie would be the better kisser out of the two of them? Surprise, surprise. It didn't matter though. The two of them completed each other. They're bodies fitting like puzzle pieces, the world finally making sense for the first time.

The warning lights in Jack's head were gone.

All that was left was bliss.

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

Vanity walked out of the "Alley" as it was known to the other school kids, the place were everyone did their dirty business and the adults seemed to turn a blind eye, her purple lipstick barely even smeared. That jock had been just what she needed, a quick fuck, a nice fling, a quick pleasure and boom she was ready to go. She flipped her hair and redid her pigtails. The sun was just starting to set and she'd already made a new "friend" she even managed to not see that annoying Jamie kid for the rest of the day.

Vanity smiled and began to walk over to the gym. She still had to help those measly mortals with their winter formal. Oh yes indeed this was starting to look like it would be fun.

Her high heels clacked on the floor.

Blood slowly dried in her wake.

The jock never left the Alley.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Okay so I realize some things might be a tad controversial in nature but yeah hope it was okay.
> 
> 1) Isnt Angry!Jamie sexy? He just got a whole lot sexier in my eyes lol
> 
> 2) HAPPY I GAVE U ALL THE KISS AT LAST (KINDA MY APOLOGY FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO UPLOAD B4)
> 
> 3) OOOO VANITY U BISH! STUFFS GETTING H.O.T HOT!
> 
> 4) You'll see Sophie and Ethan again in the next chapter i didnt think it appropriate to stick them in again in this one after that intense moment
> 
> 5) COMMENT REVIEW PLEASE :3
> 
> 6) THANKS AGAIN FOR READING!
> 
> 7) OH FOR THOSE WHO WANT THE POEM I'LL PROBABLY POST IT AS A NEW JACK AND JAMIES BLOG SO U CAN SEE IT THERE ;3 THIS IS BLOGGABLE MOMENT RIGHT?
> 
> 8) NEW SEX SCENE TYPE FOR ETHAN AND PITCH, NOT TOO GRAPHIC RIGHT?


	11. Dreaming

Ethan paused at the door to his house…or rather the house of his family, he technically didn't live there anymore-well-he technically didn't live anywhere. But technicalities aside he paused. Paused on the white wood porch, long green strands of ivy making a leisurely climb up and around the banisters that held up the adjourning roof, the paint underfoot chipping away with age. He paused in the shade of the shingled roof, his fist raised to knock on the heavily embroidered old mahogany door, one that held so many memories for him, memories of the many times he and his father would sit side by side in concentrated quiet; brows scrunched, backs bent, chisels in hand, slowly-painstakingly slowly-chipping away at the bark, breathing life into the inanimate wood, giving it soul and character.

Ethan gulped and licked his lips, his free hand moving up to undo the top buttons on his polo shirt, letting the skin beneath breath, feeling the air quench the burn it felt.

And also to gaze upon it's unblemished form.

He glanced at his chest, reassuring himself that the mark was in fact gone; the link that had Bound him to Pitch was broken, he didn't have to listen to him anymore, he was free. Ethan chuckled minutely to himself, a sad morose sound full of anger and grief that spoke of just how far gone he was. He was wrong. Oh how wrong he was. He wasn't free, not even close to it, the mark may have been destroyed but so had his center, his power, his reason for living. Not only that but the Bond was stronger than ever. No, it wasn't officially the Bond of his people…or the Antitetons for that matter; it didn't go by that name, it didn't even truly have one, but it remained, just in a different form, less tangible but even more powerful than that of the Seraphicae Nexu. It had been replaced by something new. Something mortal. By that untouchable, taste-able, testable, seeable human concept called love. Ethan smirked to himself. It was all so wrong, so, so wrong, all of it. How could he have truly fallen for the enemy of his family, of his people, of his very existence, after a couple fucks. Wasn't that all it had really been? Ethan ran his hand through his hair and looked up again, his eyes steely and mouth set into a thin line, his body stuck in the position of mid-knock. He didn't want it to be true, but feeling was there and there was no denying what his now mortal beating heart told him.

He loved Pitch. As much as it killed him to think, as much as it pained him to admit, it was the truth and it may be harsh but it was and always would be the truth.

Ethan knocked on the door. One solid thump that resounded through the whole of the house. He knocked on the door that held a fragment of his youth, that held the knocks and sounds of so many others. It held memories, saw sights, heard tears, arguments, joys. It was much like a tooth in that way, holding the memories of all that's around it, only different in that the door was unable to show what it saw, hiding them away and keeping it to itself. He wondered what would be revealed if it would let go of its secrets.

Ethan knocked again, knocked on the spot now slightly dented from the many other knocks it had taken, of the abuses, slowly wearing it down, making it lose its luster. He was losing his nerve, even if he was supposed to re-assimilate with his family he was scared of what they would say, how they would react. Would they greet him with open arms? Would they suspect something was up? Would they know he was just alive so he could get them all killed? Could he live with himself if that was the case?

He would have to.

Otherwise what was the point of agreeing in the first place?

Footsteps came down the hall way, soft, quick and dainty, the footsteps of his mother. At least she would be the first one to see him, she was less likely to start analyzing his apparently unharmed return. Even to himself it would have been suspicious.

"Coming," Came Tooth's sing-song voice. Ethan heard her fiddle with the locks on the other side of the door, probably not even bothering to look through the peephole, she never does. After a few more moments of rustling, a few muttered curses, and a loud smack later the door swung open, revealing his mother in all her red haired glory. The sight made Ethan's heart clench. He gulped and resisted the urge to jump her on the spot. He never thought he'd be so glad to see his mother in his life. "Sorry for the wait, that darn lock just never wants to co-operate with my clumsy fingers," she laughed to herself, clear and sweet. "Well then," Tooth dusted her hands off on her skirt, she still hadn't looked at him. "What can I do you fo-"

Her eyes met his. "Ethan." she whispered.

"Mom," He croaked out, his throat suddenly dry and very tight.

Tooth flung herself at him, smothering his chest in a tight loving embrace. "Oh, Ethan, you're okay, you're okay." Her body began to quake with sobs and he wrapped an arm around her waist, resting his forehead on her feather like locks, his own eyes beginning to wet with tears.

"Yah, mom," He soothed, "I'm fine."  _But you all won't be._

That thought made him fell guilty and hold his mom tighter as he kissed the top of her head, only then noticing the strands of gray in her hair, the few soft wrinkles on her face. She was aging. She had aged, ever so slightly, and it must have been because of him. Another stab of guilt overtook him and he felt fresh tears fall from his face. I'm sorry mother, it will only get worse from here. Would he be the cause for the destruction of his family? Would he be unable to do anything to stop it? Would whatever he found out about his Grandfather, the Man in the Moon, get them all killed? Hell, who's to say it wouldn't get him killed anyway? Was there really any point in even agreeing to this, to have not just died back down there in Sinister? At least it would have been a fitting end for someone like him. Someone so easily ready to turn his back on his family just to live. That's what this was all about anyway. To live or die.

To be or not to be, that indeed is the question.

Obviously he'd chosen the cowards path, one for weaklings, for the scum of the Earth. He had chosen to be.

Ethan stayed in his thoughts, rubbing his mother's back soothingly, letting her know that he in fact was there, that he was real, that this wasn't a fake.

But wasn't he?

Wasn't he now just a shell? A broken, old, forgotten husk left to dry in the unforgiving sun? He was one hundred percent mortal; did the person in his arms even count as his mother? Did the people that lived here even count as his family now that his Guardianship had been revoked? He would have to believe they did or he'd go insane.

The truth may be the truth but ignorance was bliss.

"Come on mum," Ethan tapped his mother on the shoulder, his Australian accent had slowly been fading away the longer he had lived in the U.S.A, it was now only slightly there, barely noticeable, a shade of its former glory, not unlike himself. He guessed it was fitting in that respect. "We should go inside."

Tooth pulled away, nodding, and wiped her face, trying to regain her composure and plastering a forced reassuring smile on her face. "Yes, yes of course. You're dad is at the toy store at the moment and your siblings are still at school but you probably already know that, the sun's still high in the sky!" She began to speak very fast and very high and very squeaky, signaling just how upset she was, even though she was trying to remain preppy and happy. "Why don't you go on up to your room and get some sleep, I'm sure your tired after your-" She faltered and quickly changed topics "-no matter, we can talk about all that later, just go upstairs and go to sleep, I'll come get you once everyone else is here!" She pulled him inside and ushered him up the stairs, not even giving him a chance to respond, not even giving him a chance to register what in the world was even happening, but that was okay, because that was just how she was.

And he didn't want her to change.

Not now, not ever.

Or at least for as long as possible.

Ethan sighed as he lay on his bed, alone for the first time in days. It felt weird not having a body beside him, not being able to pull that someone close, to snuggle up next to him. It felt strange and it felt strange that he thought it was strange. It was just an all around strange situation and he really should've just stopped thinking about it but he couldn't. He couldn't keep his eyes closed because he couldn't hear the rise and fall of Pitch's chest, he couldn't feel his heat, he couldn't smell his cologne. He was all alone.

And it was cold.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Sophie sat in class, her blonde hair haloed in the soft glow of sunlight, lightly touched, bringing the strands into its full and total brilliance. She looked like an angel, a painting, a Madonna; pure, chaste, and lovely, with her shining green eyes closed and soft even breathing she looked...peaceful.

She was anything but.

Appearances could always be faked.

Sophie stirred, and her eyes slowly opened. She was trying to stay awake, trying to pay attention, but it was just so hard. Nothing was coming easily to her now, nothing at all. She used to find solace in sleep now it only held the promise of nightmares, of more pain. She felt her hope slowly fading away as quickly as sand through an hourglass. A fine course thing, so small yet capable of so much more. She straightened in her seat and stretched, getting her blood flowing, hoping that it would wake her up. The light fell away from her face, clouds obscuring the sun; her angelic image was shattered. With her eyes open you saw her for what she truly was, bedraggled, tired, on the verge of oblivion, the bags under her eyes standing out like faint bruises on her face.

The teacher droned on and on, the clock on the wall ticked slowly by every second feeling like a minute, every minute feeling like an hour. Hurry. Hurry. Please. God she was tired. Oh so tired. If only she could close her eyes for a moment, just get a wink of sleep...just a moment. Maybe she could...

No!

Her head jerked up, the dark feeling around her dissipated; Sophie took a shaky breath. She hadn't slipped over into the realm of dreams. That world was now hell. She trained her eyes onto the whiteboard in front of her and strained forward in her seat, refusing to even blink, for fear she'd fall into that hated state of existence.

Her eyes burned, and her vision swam, the clock ticked slowly by. Tick, tock, tick, tock. Tick. Tock. Tick...tock...tick...

A shadowy presence flitted over her, tendrils of black sand creeping from the floor, traveling up the legs of the desk like vines, veins of evil surrounding her feet, her ankles, her legs, snaking up her arms, consuming her, her vision swam, her eyes closed, and she crossed the river into oblivion.

-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-

Sophie's eyes shot open, her breathing hard, sweat dripping off her forehead in rivulets. She glanced at the clock, three thirty...three thirty? School had been out for thirty minutes and no one had thought to wake her? That was just plain rude. Quickly she picked up her belongings, stuffing them in her pink tulip backpack and rushed out into the hallway; her dad was going to kill her for being so late!

Sophie reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone, no new messages. She let out a sigh of relief, at least it looked like her dad hadn't arrived yet either. She ran around the corner, barely catching herself from slipping on the smooth linoleum floor of the middle school.

She ran and ran, moving just so she kept moving, her breath catching in her throat. Why was she running? She wondered as she dashed down yet another hallway. Why was she so out of breath? Why was getting to the front of the school taking so long? She didn't remember these hallways being so lengthy or seemingly tall. What was going on? And...where were all the people?

Sophie stopped in her tracks, golden hair flashing in the setting sun, and did a full three sixty turn in the hallway. Yep, it was empty and that...that was weird, beyond weird. It was only three thirty...well now three thirty six but still, there should have been sounds. Students should have still been bustling around, chatting with friends, adults should have been telling students not to run, there should have been a flurry of activity, but there was none. It was utterly quiet and still, the only sound coming from her own ragged breathing, and pounding heart. She shivered and began to run again, the sound of her sneakers on the tile echoing harshly against the barren walls. The ghost of voices past echoing in her ears.

Slowly she fell into a rhythm, left, right, left, right, left, right. Her breathing fell evenly, the worse of her trepidation behind her, now just a subtly unease, her body carrying her almost without thought or will. She was in a trance of some sort, moving with some unease force guiding her, left, right, left, right, left, right. Calm washed over her, the sound of her footsteps, the feeling of impact traveling up her legs, tingling her very sense, gave her a way to grasp onto her reality. Allowed her to save her fragile sanity.

She knew something was wrong, she knew she should have reached the front of the school by now. She knew the entrance wasn't as far as she seemed to be making it out to be, but for whatever reason that there may be this was the case. The only problem was...she couldn't remember why everything seemed off. Why people should have been in the hallways. Why it even mattered in the first place. Why everything seemed to have tilted subconsciously to some sort of irrational left angle that royally messed with the balance of the universe.

Suddenly the ground changed. Sophie let out a gasp and pitched forward, stumbling on the soft earth, her hands stretched out in front of her to break her fall.  _Whumph!_  The air rushed from her lungs, and the world spun out of focus as her body was flung off balance. She gasped as her body came head first, pitching towards the ground, smacking down with an intense smash; her head swam, dazed by the impact, and she was sure that if it wasn't from her thick clothing she would have had a developing bruise already.

She lay their for a moment seeing stars and staring up at the night sky, the moon shining down on her, its light only slightly obscured by the slowly swishing tree leaves around her. Whoa. Wait. What? Leaves? Sophie blinked and sat up.

She wasn't crazy, the moon was in the sky, when had that happened? And stars twinkled beside it, illuminating the dark...she looked around...forest. She was in a forest, the thing that caused her to fall the stood proudly like a beacon beside her; a sadistic tree root that stuck itself out of the soft earth that it lay on. What happened to the school? What happened to the hallway? What happened to her father? He definitely should've been here by now, but he hadn't even called. She felt anxiety of being abandoned well up inside of her and she tried her hardest to push it back down. This wasn't a time for panic if she panicked she could get into even more trouble than she already was in.

Sophie pushed herself off the ground and dusted herself off lightly, her school was gone, the lockers and display cases and everything else that had been familiar around her disappearing with it, warping away into this god forsaken forest. Fear pressed at her chest again and she gulped. She turned her attention in front of her again. No. That was wrong. She knew where she was now! The tall ancient willow reminded her of her location. She was in Burgess Forest. She let out a sigh of relief, though it did very little to alleviate her trepidation.

She took a few steps forward and looked around. She knew she would be okay, the worst thing that could pop out would be a feral raccoon, and granted that would be bad, but it was nothing a large stick and a scream couldn't handle. Bears and wolves had long sense migrated elsewhere, there was nothing to worry about in this forest except for her own fear. Well...at least that's what she told herself, though deep down she knew that very well may not in fact be true. It all depended on if God would be on her side. Creatures could always move back, just because she had never seen nor heard of any such beasts out here didn't mean they didn't exist, but she pushed those thoughts aside and tried to figure out how she could get home.

Something wasn't right. Something was very wrong with the scene in front of her, the willow, the clearing, the small stream running through it, again she got the sense that something was off but she couldn't put her finger on it. She took a tentative step forward, moving closer to the tree, pulse sky rocketing, eyes darting back and forth, muscles tensed like a caged animal, her heart hammering in her chest and adrenaline running through her veins.

She gulped. "H-hello?" She called to no one in particular, her voice sound tight and soft, cracking slightly from fear. She felt like little red riding hood lost in the forest having traveled off the designated path, just instead of a basket of eggs and milk for her grandmother she had a hefty pick tulip backpack with school supplies and instead of a red cap to cover her she wore a pink winter coat. Okay, so maybe little pink riding hood would be a more appropriate but that was just a technicality.

"Hello?" She repeated, her voice stronger than before, her mind determined not to show her fear to the outside world.  _The worse that could pop out is a raccoon_ , she repeated to herself. There was nothing to fear, nothing to fear, nothing to fear. It was all she could to keep herself from having a breakdown. "Is anyone out there? Please help, I'm lost," her voice dropped in volume. "Please...I just wanna go home..."

Sophie fell to her knees, landing in the crux of the willow and raised her knees up to her chest. She felt her eyes brimming with tears. Was she going to die here? Was she never going to see her family. Her eyes went glossy and the tears she tried to contain spilled over into wretched sobs.

"P-p-puhle-e-ase, isn't a-a-anyone there?" She tried between her tears.

 _My dear, what ever is the matter?_  A soft voice spoke from behind her and Sophie looked up, her waterlogged eyes locking with the lady behind her. She was tall and elegant, her dark skin the shade of willow bark, her hair varying shades of gold, red, orange, and yellow, a fiery cacophony of color, shimmering in the light, her eyes a mesmerizing shade of blue and green, constantly shifting. The lady wore a tight fitting dress of leaves, woven to accentuate her curves and vines ran down her arms like lace. To put it simply she was gorgeous.

Sophie rubbed her eyes and stopped her tears. "I-I'm lost, I don't know how to get home. Can you help me?"

 _Of course my dear, dear, Sophie, nothing shall ever harm you._  The lady reached out a hand and stroked her blonde locks, she noticed that as she moved her hair color shifted, along with her skin, everything changing to match the tree behind her, like a chameleon.

She sniffed. "Do you promise?"

The woman nodded  _I would never lie to you, you and I, we are meant to meet again. I can not allow you to be injured here._

Sophie noticed that the ladies lips never moved when she talked, yet her voice still remained, echoing in her head. She figured that should probably scare her, but it really didn't, if anything it made her feel calmer. It was strange.

"Who are you?" Sophie asked staring up at the enigmatic woman.

 _All will be revealed in time my dear,_ She lifted Sophie to her feet _In the mean time you have to go, you'll find the exit is straight ahead._ The lady pointed in front of her and Sophie turned. Where there had been plain and dense wood was now an obvious path. Sophie beamed. "Thank you!" Then she dashed away, her body becoming a blip in the distance...

-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-

Sophie woke with a start, her shoulders being violently shaken. There was some wailing in the background, some inhuman desperate shrieking. It wouldn't stop. Slowly the classroom came into focus. Titania was above her, eyes wide with panic as she shook her shoulder.

"-ophie! SOPHIE!" Sound slowly filtered into her ears, growing in volume and shrillness. "SOPHIE! SNAP OUT OF IT!" Her friend shook her more violently.

The shrieking only rang out louder, surer. It wouldn't stop. Her throat was throbbing painfully. Her friend just kept shaking her. Why was she doing that? She was awake now, couldn't she see that?

"Sophie!" Titania stopped shaking her friend and drew her hand back. Suddenly there was a sharp crack and a harsh stinging pain across her face. The screaming stopped immediately, the world falling back into focus with sickening clarity. Sophie was sitting in her classroom, and everyone was staring at her with wide fearful eyes. Had  _she_  been the wailer? She must have been, it was the only reason her throat would be so sore.

"Sophie, are you okay? I'm sorry I slapped you but I read somewhere that sometimes to get people to stop screaming in hysterics you should slap them," Titania's eyes where clouded with guilt and worry, it hurt her nearly as much as it hurt Sophie to slap her.

Sophie brought her hand up to her face. It stung to the touch and she was sure that there was going to be a bruise or at least an angry red handprint left behind.

"You slapped me." It wasn't a question it was a statement.

"I'm sorry but it seemed to be the only way to-"

"Go away."

"What?"

"Go! I don't want to see you again! You  _hit_  me!" Sophie glared daggers into her friend. Or would be friend. No one seemed to be on her side anymore. Her parents didn't care about her, her brother had abandoned her in his own despair, Ethan has vanished, and now her best friend had slapped her. Well you know what fine! If that's how it's going to be then she would be by herself. She didn't need friends she'd make it on her own.

"Sophie-"

Sophie raised her hand. "I said go!" She growled out and before the teacher or anyone else could stop her, Sophie swung her palm at her friends face. The air clapped with the sound of the slap, and a more surprised than hurt expression crossed her friends face. Titania brought her hand to her face, shocked into a dumb silence.

"Leave me alone, understand?" Sophie's voice dripped with venom and hatred. Somewhere deep inside she realized she was over-reacting. Somewhere deep inside she didn't want to react like this. Somewhere deep inside she wanted to scream that she was sorry and nothing she said or did mattered, but that was a deep somewhere. A somewhere she couldn't reach anymore. Just a vague memory.

Her red headed friend just nodded and stepped aside as Sophie stormed out the classroom, the teacher just as shocked as the rest of the class.

Sophie went outside and ran blindly, she knew she was going to be suspended, and she knew her family was going to punish her put it doesn't matter. She was okay with what she had become. She was okay with her ostracization.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

The small gym was a bustle of activity: drama students running back and forth, volunteers holding cans of paint, student council members setting up lights and wiring...it seemed chaotic to say the least. It was a wonder no one had run into anyone yet. Mason stood on the second level of the gym, overlooking the progress like a god looking down upon his subjects, his hands wrung tightly against the metal banister. It was a wonderfully satisfying sight; knowing that everything was going according to plan stroked his ego to no end. In just a over a week they'd be pulling off the best winter formal Burgess High had ever seen. He would make sure of it.

Or he didnt deserve to hold the name of Ceasar.

Mason nodded approvingly to himself and his eyes scoured the masses, searching...searching for one man in particular. At last he spotted him, the shaggy haired brunette with the adorable dark green glasses. Mason shook his head. Did he just think that Jamie was adorable? That couldn't be right. But that didn't change the growing envy he felt when he saw the shorter more slender Jack wrap his arms around his friends waist. Now that...that irritated him to no end.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"Jaaaaammmiiieeeee," Jack sing-songed softly in Jamie's ear, a low seductive drawl, his pale skinny arms wrapping around the taller boy's middle. He felt the brunette tense under his cold touch and Jack smirked to himself. "You almost done over here?" His hands went under his shirt, reaching up, up, up, and he heard Jamie suck in a haggard breath. "Gotta get home so I can kick your ass at Modern Warfare Two."

Jamie trembled and worked faster, trying to pin some white streamers on the newly refurbished Rapunzel tower turned snow castle from last years play, clearly flustered. "Wh-who said I was going over to your house today?"

Jack grinned and pulled away. "You did."

That got Jamie's attention, and he turned his full gaze onto the white haired teen behind him. "What? When?"

Jack's grin just got wider and he took out his cell phone. "This morning while you were busy spacing out and reviewing for your latin test," Jack paused. "How'd that go by the way?"

"To answer the latter question: superb, you really ought to not even ask, if I ever got anything lower than a 100 on a test I think I'd have suffered from a mental breakdown." Jamie crossed his arms and made a face. "And what in the world are you talking about, I don't mumble to myself when I'm studying."

"You weren't mumbling," Jack replied easily, "You spoke in complete sentences, you should be proud of your multi-tasking ability, Jay!" The albino said jokingly.

Jamie's eyes narrowed and his mouth set into an irritated line. "You jest. I'm quite certain I'd remember talking to you or not."

"Nope," Jack's grin turned malicious, "I figured you'd say that so I recorded it."

Jamie's eyes widened, "You. Did. Not!"

"Oh yes Jayman, I definitely did."

Jamie lunged for the phone. "Give me that!"

"Nuh-uh," Jack said teasingly, "Not until you listen to it and promise to spend the night like you said you would."

Jamie let out an exasperated sigh and growled out a very perturbed fine.

"Good boy, James," Jack cooed, pinching the other boy's cheek and pressing play on his phone. Jamie looked on as the HD image of his face came on the screen, his head bent over a book. He could see the look of concentration on his face, his lips moving along silently to the words he was reading as quickly as his eyes. Jamie felt a sense of dread fall over him, he could see where this was going. In the video her heard Jack ask him if he was going to come sleep over at his house, each attempt getting shorter and shorter every time Jamie's responses made himself redder and redder. Oh god, he had no idea he was so inately random when he was heavily concentrated. At last Jamie saw himself say yes, being jarred out of his reviere and the video ended.

Jamie turned to Jack. "That was low."

Jack grinned, "You wouldn't tell a lie now would you  _Jamie_?"

Jamie sighed. "You have to delete that, it's horribly embarrassing." Jack shrugged and did what he was told, there was no need for Jamie to know that he already emailed it to himself now was there? "And I have to call my parents letting them know I'll be across the street your manipulative personality tonight." He said with a non to fond glare in Jack's direction, the latter boy just grinned at his victory, he knew Jamie wasn't really mad at him...but still, better not to leave with bad blood right?

"Jamie," He called out, grabbing the boys hand before he walked away to find a quieter place to make his call.

"What now?"

Jack grinned and pulled him into the shadow of the castle, it wasn't really necessary no one was looking but still, better safe than sorry right?

"Jack-" Jamie began in annoyance but was cut short by Jack's lips hitting his. "Hphmmmm!"

"Just be quiet okay?" Jack whispered when they broke away for air. Jamie just nodded, slightly dazed before leaning down to kiss the albino boy again. Their tongues lapped over each others, drinking their feelings for one another, and slowly they found a rhythm, one that Jamie dominated; Jack still couldn't get over that. Finally after a few minutes Jack broke away. "Forgiven?" He asked. "Or do you still think I'm a manipulative ass?"

Jamie didn't answer for a moment, his mouth just opening and closing like a fish. Jack could see the boy genius's brain trying to re-connect their synapses to his body and his ego soared with the new found knowledge that a single kiss had the power to render Jamie speechless.

"You're still a manipulative ass," Jamie said, his angry mask twitching away to reveal a small smile, "But you're an adorably caring manipulative ass." Jamie kissed Jack chastely on the lips, a quick peck, not even really a kiss but still it sent such a fire through both the boys it was hard not to deepen it at that moment. "So you are now officially acquitted for your past transgressions. Now I'm going to call my dad, you finish pinning those streamers on this contraption please." He said handing Jack the stapler.

Jack nodded. "'Kay."

Jamie smiled, a real one and walked out of the shadows and into the hall. Jack watched with a grin on his face, he'd never realized what a nice ass Jamie had until that moment. Jack sighed started finishing what he'd been assigned. Ah he was so whipped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: ANNNND END! HOPE YOU ALL LIKE IT!...I REALLY DON'T HAVE MUCH ELSE TO SAY BUT THANKS FOR ALL THE REVIEWS AND FAVS AND FOLLOWS AND OMG SO CLOSE TO 100 IT MAKES ME WANNA SCREAM! TY AGAIN MUCH LOVE AND OH! PICO FANS I HAVE STARTED A PERCY JACKSON/ NICO DI ANGELO FIC AU(OF COURSE) POST APOCALYPSE! CHECK IT OUT AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK PLEASE :3
> 
> Also sorry its unbeta'd still AND FAN ART? ANYONE WANNA MAKE A COVER FOR THIS FIC I WILL LOVE YOU FOREVER!
> 
> -ARCH!
> 
> NEXT UPDATE: SUNDAY! STAY TUNED!


	12. Evenings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well I wrote this chapter a LONG time ago, but my Beta'er vanished... (family problems) so I hadn't uploaded it. Then I forgot. Now I remember soooo HERE IT IS!! Chap 13 is in progress!
> 
> Chapter 12: In which Jamie begins to suspect the abnormality of the Frost's and the Lady of the Deep makes another appearance.

**Chapter Twelve: Evening** _**s** _

Jamie sat at the foot of the bed, expression focused, eyes glued to the page in front of him. His caramel hair framed his face, hanging loosely in front of his chestnut brown irises, his bottom lip chewed on subtly by his top incisor. Papers were strewn around him, multiple textbooks open to various pages, random neon colored post-its stuck out at haphazard angles as highlighter bookmarks. In his hand rested a notebook, one that he was furiously writing in, dutifully so, just as a genius student was expected to. It was all easy to him; simple, mundane, mechanical, the tedious thing known as homework, the thing that graded him, branded him, and made it known his intelligence.

Or lack there of.

Probably the saddest thing in that moment was the fact that there was no feeling in the act, the very fact that it was in fact so automatic, how whipped he was indeed, how exceedingly normal. He sighed, and set his pencil aside, rubbing the back of his neck to get rid of the kink that had developed in it from being hunched over for such a long time. Setting his glasses aside he closed his eyes and stretched before rubbing the bridge of his nose. He really didn't feel like doing the rest of his homework right now, the day had just been too draining, but he knew he had to, his perfect record was at stake, besides, he still needed the distractions. They were what kept him going. The door opened. Jack walked in.

Well...maybe him too.

"So, how's my studious little worker bee doing?" He asked, mischievously, already managing to break through the ice that clung to Jamie's heart. "Miss me?"

Jamie felt the corners of his lip twitching into some sort of awkward half smile, grimace combo and scoffed. "Of course not, I do so enjoy basking in the afterglow of the successful completion of an assignment. I would rather you not have interrupted that."

Jack grinned at him, before walking fully into the room and flinging himself onto his bed. "Well it  _is_  my room you know."

"That's irrelevant."

"I think it's pretty relevant Jay, can't boss someone around in their own room."

"Of course I can," He turned his critical gaze onto the white haired albino behind him, "It  _is_ you we're talking about, I know you better than yourself."

Jack shrugged from where he was laying, head propped up by one hand, signature smirk in place. "That's a matter of opinion."

"More like a matter of fact."

Jack laughed. "You just can't be wrong, can you?"

Jamie stared at him pointedly. "I'm not that shallow." Then he grinned himself, a small shy thing, utterly adorable in Jack's opinion. When had he become so beautiful in his eyes? "I'm just always right."

Jack chuckled. "You're such a girl Jamie."

Jamie looked scandalized. "Am not."

Jack pushed himself up fully and crawled over to his Jamie, an evilly mischievous look on his face.

Jamie shifted uncomfortably as he crept closer. "I-I don't think I like that look very much. What are you planning?"

"Nothing at all Jayman," He was inches from his friends face, he smirked when he saw Jamie's eyes drop to his lips. "Just know you're definitely going to be the girl in this later."

"You are the devil," Jamie whispered shakily with a gulp, cheeks lightly tinged with blush, before pushing himself up off the bed. "And I would rather not think of those...arrangements...at this time. We haven't even been together a day."

Jack rolled onto his back, head hanging off the edge of the mattress, white hair hanging even lower, the grin Jamie so loved on his face, he felt his heart flutter slightly at the sight. It was so strange to let himself feel these things, to not push them down and away knowing that nothing could ever stem from it. It was strange to think that Jack was his, and even stranger to think that Jack wanted him, the awkward bookworm with hardly any friends, back.

"Ah Jamie, always the rational one," Jack said

Jamie scoffed from where he stood, arms crossed awkwardly over his tall frame; Jack noticed he wasn't wearing his glasses, his eyes seemed brighter, warmer, more alive without them on...maybe he should try and persuade him to wear contacts again. "One of us has to be. Who else would there be to talk your punishments down?"

"Good point, now come back down here, I promise I won't bite." Jack sat up and made grabby hands at Jamie. Jamie rolled his eyes, but made his way over. "You know I really doubt that you'll keep that promise."

Jack wrapped his arms, touch always a few degrees colder than the average humans, around Jamie's waist and rested his head on his shoulder. "Jamie, Jamie, ye of little faith, I'd only bite you if you asked." He paused, and Jamie felt the boy grinning. "Besides you're more of a biter than me, I'm surprised I got here with my lip still in place." Jack laughed when he saw the red tinge his friends ears. "Awww don't be embarrassed Jay, you know I liked it." That just made Jamie redder and he fumbled out of his friends grasp.

"I-I think I heard you're mom calling for dinner, why don't we check?"

Jack smirked at the lame excuse but nodded and got up to follow him. Jamie opened the door and stepped out into the hall. The two friends walked through it and down the stairs in silence. They weren't really sure how to interact with each other outside of there own company now. The rules of what was and wasn't appropriate had changed and still had to be established. At the very least it would be obvious to anyone close to them that something had changed between them. Something subtle, but something big. Something that caused this strange gap.

Jamie bit his lip as he walked into the kitchen dining area, only know realizing he had left his glasses upstairs, of course in the presence of his current worries that was but an after thought. He just didn't know what to do now and the fact that he didn't was driving him insane. He was supposed to have the answer, he was the genius, he always had the answer when no one else did, the saving grace, one of the few pleasures he gained from life. It was a moment that actually made him feel needed, wanted, useful. At least more so than any other time.

"Hey Jack," He said absently, "Can you get my glasses from off your bed?"

Jack turned to him, and began to answer, when someone else walked into the room. Someone taller than Jamie himself.

"Ethan?" Jack exclaimed, frozen to the spot in surprise.

"Uh...hi?" Ethan waved and shot him a  _"not-right-now"_  look glancing at Jamie, one that didn't go unnoticed by said boy, his brow quirked up in confusion. Why was Jack so surprised to see his brother, didn't he still live here? He could've sworn he saw him in the past week. And why was Ethan being so secretive.

Jamie broke the silence. "Jack, my glasses if you please?"

Jack blinked out of his stupor. "Oh... y-yeah," He took another glance at his brother. It was official, something weird was going on between them. "I'll get them right now." Jamie smiled at him and continued into the dining room as Jack went to fetch his friends glasses.

It was a mystery yet to be solved. If Jamie couldn't figure out his own relationship crisis he was at least going to solve this. He would figure out what was going on in this family, and he would get it right. There was no way in the world he'd sit by as Jack's family fell apart like his own. He'd try his hardest to make sure that didn't happen.

He sat down at the table and smiled at the others around him. So seemingly perfect, but something was boiling beneath the surface and he was definitely going to find out what.

What kind of friend would he be otherwise?

Or...maybe boyfriend?

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

Sophie sat at home, staring out her window towards the home across the street from her own, the home that held the Frost's. The home that had her Bunny, and now her brother; the house slowly stealing everything from her. Her face contorted into one of disgust, her green eyes piercing and defiant, well if they all wanted it to be like that then so be it, she would be on her own. She had made that much clear at school today, which reminded her of the situation at hand...

Her parents were yelling again. Loud and obnoxious sounds. She didn't feel a need to cover her ears anymore though, or act afraid or cowardly, no, she had the Lady on her side now, and the Lady wouldn't let anyone hurt her. No one at all. She believed it because...

The Lady had said it.

And the Lady was her only friend.

So she shrugged everything off, the three day suspension for assaulting a fellow student, her would be friend Titania. Ha. She spat, her blonde hair curling at the edges, sure, that poor, innocent, egotistical red head was definitely on her side. Sure. She was but another Frost, another sign of just how atrocious they were. Yet another example of their vampiric ways. Now siphoning her very education from her grasp.

They were evil and needed to be stopped. Her hate was a physical thing now, tangible, and strong. It fueled her actions, giving rise to a plan, a plan to save her brother from their evil clutches, a plan that would give her the revenge she desired. That she craved.  _Needed_ , in order to feel complete again. Whole.

Sophie stood up and closed the blinds, she didn't need to see those happy mocking lights anymore, she had enough wood to burn, there was nothing else she needed. Turning she walked into her bathroom and opened the cabinet, taking out the razor she had hidden behind her lotion, and acne creams. Normal girl products. Supposed normal girl problems, but she was anything but. Indeed she was lived in a family full of contradicting paradoxes, her home a Pandora's box, an illusion of goodness. An act. She was used to it all, it's what she was. An actress. And it was time she stopped.

She could talk to the Lady, she could overcome her need to cut.

Sophie smirked at her reflection in the mirror it smirked back. She pursed her lips and cupped her hands around her growing breasts, there was actually something there now, she was becoming a woman, her curves were becoming more defined, her lips fuller; puberty was taking its hold. She would use this to her advantage. She would become someone knew. She would be reborn as a beautiful avenging angel of justice and the Lady would work through her.

She tossed the razor in the trash.

She then threw away all of her clothes.

She lit a match, she let it fall...

She watched her past burn to nothing.

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

Pitch stared up at the ceiling, he felt so empty right now, so incomplete, his heart was aching and he didn't know why. He shifted his position on the couch, his long slender legs hanging off the edge, sleek back hair pushed back and gelled to shine. He knew why. Oh he knew, he just didn't want to admit it. To do so would be too human, too much like the Guardians who he so despised. But the feelings still remained.

He missed the tall gray haired youth who used to guard hope. He had grown used to his chatter, his laugh, his presence around Sinister, and now that he was gone this subterranean city felt too big. Too cold. Too foreboding. Maybe Vanity was right. Maybe they really did need a color change. The muted colors couldn't be good for his mood.

Pitch stood up and headed to living room, dejectedly, glancing at his appearance in the mirror as he walked past it. He stopped. What in the world? He brought a hand to his face. He looked...  _younger_.

"Do you like it?" A voice called from behind him.

Pitch whirled around, nightmares partially forming in his midst. "Mother?! What are you doing here?" Without help. He didn't add.

"My power is growing. I made contact with the girl, her angst and despair is the perfect battery."

"You can leave your prison now?"

Gaea walked towards the couch and lay across it, her brown legs laying languidly across it. "No, not yet, my vessel isn't prepared enough yet, this is but a projection of my power, I am still imprisoned." She made a face, her hair turning the color of dead leaves, her eyes going stormy. "I will make my brother pay." She regained her composure. "No matter, I asked you a question: do you like it?"

He looked back at his reflection in the mirror, bringing a hand to his face. "Y- yes... I look twenty years younger."

She nodded. "Yes, as my first born, you have that advantage. As my power grows so does yours, and as yours grows you will be returned to our prime. Which apparently is close enough in age to your little boy toy."

Pitch turned away from her. That had been what he'd been thinking but, it was awkward to hear it from his mother's lips.

Gaea sighed. "God, it's like dealing with three teenagers now." She mumbled. "Call the others. I we have matters to discuss."

Pitch bowed, taking one last look at his newly rejuvenated appearance. He had to see Ethan tonight. "As you wish."

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

Vanity crossed her legs in her "brother's" Ferrari It was red and sleek and sexy, but it was just a car. It was a distraction from the beauty that was herself. She honestly found it annoying she had to be driving in something that some might find more sensual than herself. She'd see men get boners off this car faster than her lips wrapped around their cocks, and seen their gross drooling faces all over it.

She held her nail file in her hand delicately, filing her nails back into points that had unfortunately gone dull after her fun in the Alley. Man it kinda sucked that she had to drain the life from that jock, he had been a good fuck. A really, really good fuck. Like wow. He was probably one of the few people she'd ever been with that could keep up with her. It was impressive to say the least.

She bit her lip and squeezed her legs tighter. Just the thought of that mans throbbing member thrusting inside of her had her burning with uncontrollable desire.

"God, Andrew," She said, purple lips set in a pouting fashion, her tone brokering no argument. "let me out here, I have some business to take care of."

Andrew glanced at her, taking in her expression. "No."

Vanity glared, her would be seductive expression morphing into a disfigured monster. "What do you mean no, you slutty bitch." She growled.

Andrew was unphased by her reaction, it was typical, her temper was fickle. "Pitch wants as back immediately, apparently mother wants to talk to us."

Vanity's face scrunched even more. It was really unattractive Andrew mused. "What the hell does she want now?" She sighed and went back to filing her nails. "I suppose I can't ignore her then."

Andrew didn't say anything. Just nodded.

He had a feeling he knew what this meeting was about.

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-**


	13. Venus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vanity's struck and the mystery thickens!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the delay. Technically this chapter was up on FF.net in like Oct. (i know so bad) but i'm posting it now cause i'm about halfway done with the next chapter after like 8mo. Anyway feel free to read this hear or on my FF account.

**Chapter Thirteen: Venus**

Homicide detective Argent Melentos hated his job. He really truly did, especially when he had to be the one to break the news to a family, a mother and father - maybe a brother or a sister or cousin - and tell them that their son would never be coming home. That he'd never be eating dinner with them again, or playing the music too loud, or gaming to the crack of dawn - he'd never do any of that...

\- Because he was dead.

Argent always hated that part - the big reveal - hated telling some poor saps that someone they cared about was dead, but it was always worse - closer to home - when it was a teen or a child. He couldn't help think to himself  _"what if that was my little girl?" "what if it was me that got the knock on the door that said she'd been murdered brutally in some back alley in the school"?_

He'd be furious.

He'd want to blow the whole damn building to the ground.

But more than anything he'd want to curl up into a ball and cry.

So yes, Detective Argent Melentos hated his job. But at the same time he couldn't help but think... if he found the killer now, if he gave it his all and stopped them or him or her before they stuck again... then it would be worth it. He'd have spared another family the pain of loss, and most importantly he'd have made the world a little safer for his own.

Argent sighed as he pulled up to the house of the dead boy - Jacob Sydney - eighteen, six- two, basketball playing all star, eviserated and drained of all his blood ... Sick. Twisted. Demented - almost demonic in nature - the state of that poor boy... he shook his head, gaze drawn down to the file beside him, the tips of some pictures - a few post-its - a coffee stain and a paperclip peeking out - memories he'd rather not relive so soon - and shakily grabbed it, numb fingers fumbling with the edges before setting it in the backseat. He sighed, gulped, and shivered; not from the cold - that folder - that case, it had a sinister nature about it, something so bad that - if he didn't already feel so strongly about it - he would have given it to someone -  _anyone_ \- else.

Even as it was, he knew he was in for some intense psyche sessions when this shit was over.

Argent sighed and got out the cruiser, fedora low on his head, brown trench coat bunched up close to his body, black gloves wrapped around his fingers in a feeble attempt at staving off the cold, a few gentle snowflakes falling prettily to the ground. It was cold, and that's all this neighborhood could see. It was all they had to worry about at this time, a quiet empty street, save for the young lady walking her dog in the pale evening light.

The cruiser door closed beside him and he blew into his hands, his breath fogging in front of him before flexing his fingers and stretching, back cracking; knocking out the kinks in his spine and bones. The house in front of him was quaint - small - average, unassuming, the kind of house you'd expect to see in a classic family movie where everything was just fucking perfect. The irony wasn't lost on him, when he'd arrived at the scene... the way he'd found Jacob... it was truly disturbing. Images of organs hanging from his sides, pants down, penis still erect, face a weird mix of surprised and pleasured, suggesting it may have possibly been a hazing gone terribly awry... it was horrible, and not a fate he'd wish even on his worst enemy.

Not the type of death you wanted to tell a parent about.

Or anyone really.

Argent sighed and walked up the walkway leading to the front door. So unsuspecting it wasn't fair. Sounds of laughter could be heard from inside the house, smells of food wafting from inside.

He knocked on the door.

**-School Days-**

Vanity prided herself on being someone who wasn't easily surprised, someone who'd scare the people who worked in one of the haunted mazes at the local carnival before they could think of scaring her - but when she walked into Center Square and saw how Pitch had changed, well she couldn't help but give pause; she pursed her lips. "Well fuck me - what the  _hell_ happened to you?"

Pitch made a face, deathly gray lips thinning into a grimace, and ran a hand through his slicked back hair. "Mother happened." He deadpanned pointing a thumb to the lady beside him, lounging on the couch like she owned the place - which - granted, she technically did.

"Vanity, how lovely to see you," Gaea drawled, voice harsh and uncaring like it was in fact a  _great_  struggle to see her, let alone say hi to her. That her very presence was a privelage and Vanity's existence was the bane of the Earth. Vanity felt she probably should've been offended by that, but luckily she didn't have that capacity for emotion. All she could feel - all she  _needed_ to feel - was libido, hate, revenge, sadism - and an intense need to see things killed in the most gruesome ways possible - nothing more, nothing less - nothing else mattered.

So instead of being angry Vanity simply smirked and strutted across the room to the love seat across from Gaea - plopping down - her signature nail file already in hand. "Great to see you too mother dear, I hope the bowels of hell have been kind to you as of late."

Gaea glared. Okay, so maybe Vanity  _had_ been a little offended, but now beyond that one snide comment - she really truly did not care. Her need for revenge had been sated.

See she really was a fairly simple person.

Andrew cleared his throat, hood still drawn over his face. "You shouldn't talk to Gaea like that Vanity."

Vanity stuck out her tongue, filing stopping momentarily as she leveled her gaze on the boy still standing by the entrance. "Oh stop being such a prick Andre- "

"He's right you know," Gaea mused, cutting off Vanity's sentence and giving her a glare of her own. "You really ought to show me more respect," she flicked her wrist and Vanity's chair tipped to the side. "Even from here I have more power than you could ever dream of having."

She turned to Andrew. "Now Fabian I wish you'd stop wearing that blasted hood and use the name your mother gave you, there's nothing wrong with it."

Andrew didn't respond right away, just made his way over to where Pitch was standing. "What's so urgent you had to call for us now? Ethan's only been gone for a couple hours."

The Lady of the Deep stretched out a leg, letting the muscles flex and a sigh escaped her lips, her animated dress of vines moving languidly across her body. "I wish you wouldn't bring up the name of that Guardian scum so early in the evening - "

"Ex- Guardian scum technically - you  _did_ make sure of that mother," Pitch interjected none too kindly.

Gaea paused and tapped her nail against the arm of the sofa, muscles in her mouth working, her hair changing to a vibrant red, her eyes flashing between the colors of lava, the bottom of her dress crumbling and changing to the color of death and rot. "Yes, I did, Black," she said - not looking at her son. "And I'd do it again too - actually I'd have just killed him - so stop complaining and be grateful your old power is coming back. Now anymore questions? Or may I finally continue? This form does take energy you know." She looked at them each in turn.

Pitch grumbled but stayed otherwise silent.

"Good." She cracked her neck. "Now, I'm sure you have questions as to the nature of my visit," she paused. "Well actually I know you two," she pointed to Vanity and Andrew in turn. "Are wondering that, you've been very vocal on the matter," she sighed, "I'll have you know it has nothing to do with - " her jaw worked and her eyes flashed. " - Ethan," she growled out, the Earth shaking slightly as she said the name.

Pitch glanced up at the ceiling and flicked some fallen dirt from his suit. "Your love for him is admirable, though I do think next time you could do without the - uh -  _aesthetics_ ," he drawled sarcastically.

Gaea glared. Pitch shut up. "As I was saying - my power is growing - and you know what that means correct?"

"You've made contact with the Bennett girl," Vanity murmured.

"Yes, it does - not all of us have been sitting twindling our thumbs doing nothing." The ground shook again and Vanity looked away; Gaea turned to Andrew, "Fabian - how are preperations at the school?"

"If all goes according to plan the Guardian children and the Bennett boy will be seperated from their parents on the night of the solstice."

Gaea raised an eyebrow, her look one of menacing destruction. "And is it going according to plan?"

"Yes, they'll be in the  _Thusia_  with the others when the time comes."

Gaea murmured her ascent. "Vanity, how goes breaking the Bennett boy? If he is broken he can not be used by the enemy."

Vanity paused her filing, setting it down and taking out some purple nailpolish. "He ran out the room this morning a nervous wreck and I haven't seen him since - though I did stockpile some more energy for the ceremony, only need a few more victims."

"Good. Now Pitch, I trust you know what to do?"

"Mmm, keep plaguing the girl with nightmares, check up on Ethan, threaten him for you, have sex with him later, and get Vanity to summon you if you aren't already here," he paused, "that 'bout right?"

The Lady grimaced. "Yes... that's... the general idea."

"Well then," Pitch clapped his hands and stood up from his chair, "I think this meetings about over then. That right mother?"

Gaea's eyes narrowed, she did not appreciate Pitch's attitude. "... Yes."

Pitch grinned, all pointed teeth and evil sadistic malice. "Well then I've got a girl to torment."

**-School Days-**

Jamie dropped the controller - brow scrunched in confusion - and pushed his glasses up higher on his nose - mouth gaping slightly as his eyes traveled slowly from the screen to the abused piece of plastic now resting pathetically against the ground beside him. He pursed his lips, words on the tip of his tongue, shapes and figures on its rounded edge - yet nothing but empty air dared escape. "B". He most definitely pressed the "B" button, had the distinct memory of pressing down almost dangerously hard against it, so much so that the circular edge had left an imprint against his thumb - yet staring at the screen - slow paced mournful music playing in the background whilst the scene gray-scaled - the sad and almost horribly to the point words "You Died" written across it in suspiciously red "paint" splatters dripping and rippling its way to the ground... well - that seemed to think otherwise.

"I pressed 'B'," Jamie said - wetting his lips and brushing a few stray strand of hair out of his face as if saying it aloud would magically make it true. "I'm positive I did."

Jack just grinned up lazily from the floor and patted Jamie's thigh with his foot, his own controller now coming to rest in the space in front of him, his shirt riding up slightly against the small of his back - pale creamy skin showing gently in the harsh television glow. "Sure you did."

Jamie nodded. "Of course I did - obviously your controllers are defective, you ought to invest in a pair of new ones - or perhaps I'd be able to rectify the problem myself," he picked up the offending device and turned it gingerly in his hand. "there must be a short circuit somewhere..."

Jack laughed and rolled onto his back, propping himself up on his elbows - smirk still in place. "Or maybe your memory's not as good as you thought it was."

Jamie glared and tossed a pillow halfheartedly in his direction. "My memories perfect."

"Uh-huh - now Jamester - you do know I have a pretty incriminating video that says otherwise right?" Jack said raising an eyebrow and waggling his phone in between his fingers.

Jamie's eyes narrowed. "You told me you deleted that."

Jack shrugged and grinned wider.

"Do not force my hand Jack, I will have no qualms hacking your e-mail to properly eradicate that piece of blackmail material," Jamie deadpanned, crossing his arms and fixing Jack with a pointed look.

"Awwww," Jack reached over and pinched his cheek, "is Jamie-waymie getting a little hissy wissy?"

"Stop that," Jamie batted his hand away, "god you're like a damn Cheshire Cat."

Jack pulled back and raised a brow, but didn't respond, instead changing the subject. "So you done playing then eh?"

Jamie nodded. "Yes, I am not in the mood for playing glitchy games, besides - " he glanced at the clock. "- it's already ten and we  _do_  have school in the morning, best to get some rest now then."

Jack sighed and stretched, before reaching over to turn off his television, the room now bathed in nothing but pale moon light. "You can have the bed," he said, glancing over his shoulder while stripping down to his boxers, "It's too small for the both of us now that you're the jolly good giant."

"What?" Jamie blinked a couple times and Jack laughed, setting a hand on his shoulder and placing a chaste kiss on his cheek. "You're adorable you know that right?"

Cheeks flushing red, Jamie pushed him away and fumbled with his glasses setting them on the nightstand beside him; promptly jumping into the bed, pulling the covers up to his chin and turning to face the wall, not even attempting to persuade Jack to take it instead. "Shut up." He mumbled.

Jack laughed again and Jamie couldn't help but smile in return, even if he couldn't see it and Jamie waited until he heard Jack settle into the sleeping bag stashed in his closet before speaking again.

"Jack?" He whispered tentatively.

"Yeah?"

"Is the relational dynamic between you and Ethan proper or... was I right in assuming that it was a tad... strained?" He phrased it as casually as possible but still he could sense when Jack tensed, the air between them suddenly heavier before Jack responded.

He laughed, the sound clipped and short, not at all like it should've been. "Everything's fine Jay, couldn't have just said 'are you and Ethan okay' like a normal person huh?"

Jamie forced himself to laugh as well. "Correct."

Jack chuckled again this one sounding slightly more real and shifted again in his sleeping bag. "Night Jay."

"Goodnight Jack," Jamie responded biting back a sigh, _I wish you'd tell me what was wrong._

Because Jamie knew when something was eating at Jack, he knew when he was lying.

He just wished Jack would trust him enough to tell him.


	14. Starcrossed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And here's where the Ethan/Pitch relationship really starts to heat up.

**Chapter Fourteen: Starcrossed**

 

 **** _Tick-Tick-Tick-Tick!_ Another tick. Another click. Another flip. Another minute had passed. _Every_ minute, without fail. Moving forward, never backwards. It was a constant in his life. 

Jack's analogue alarm clock punched through the silence like a pen drop in a classroom-- _noticeably_. _Tick-Tick-Tick-Tick!_ At least it was to him, the lad too wired to fall asleep. Jamie seemed to have no problem tuning it out though. The boy was out like a light. Jack sighed. And bit his lip.

He was thinking--or maybe more accurately _worrying--(_ and that _alone_ was a worrying prospect...) (Jack didn't do _worry_...) (Well with anyone except Jamie.) (But Jamie was an exception to pretty much every rule in Jack's book.)  And he couldn't help but feel like something major had happened in the time when Ethan had virtually fallen off the face of the fucking _Earth._

Well he _knew_ something had happened. It _had_ to have, Ethan had been gone too long for something _not_ to, even he could figure out that much. But all the same he didn't-- He couldn't-- He just-- 

Jack let out a deep breath, fisting the fabric of the sleeping bag and scrubbed a hand manically through his hair. He wanted to scream. He wanted to shout and rage and punch something senseless but he _couldn't_. And by the might of his Grandfather on the Moon wasn't that just the biggest injustice of them all? Being shut out? Not being able to ask? To offer comfort? Not being able to be of more help to the people you loved, because _he couldn't_ and it was just. so. damn. _frustra--_

Ice and frost began to gather in a flowery pattern around his fist. He inhaled sharply. _Calm down, Jackeroo._ Ice and frost still spread. _Think bout how shit you'd feel if poor lil' Jay got frostbite because of you! You'd never forgive yourself. Right? Right. Of course I'm right. Why wouldn't I be right, I'm fuckin' me. Christ-sake, I'm going insane._

He took a calming breath and the ice stopped. All he knew for sure was that  something had happened and it was something bad. His mother had told them about Pitch and the Antitetons, and he knew, just _knew_ deep down in his gut that they were behind this. He just had to figure out why.

 _Tick-Tick-Tick-Tick!_ The ceiling was awash with sporadic light, street-lamps and the occasional car shining a dull glow through the window-shutters. Jack squirmed uncomfortably in his sleeping bag, his white hair tickling the tip of his nose. He couldn't for the life of him fall asleep. _God dammit,_ he thought with a  groan and rubbed his hands over the lids of his eyes, shimmying a little out of his toasty prison. He looked up at the clock on the other side of the room. 10:59pm. He grimaced.

Jack sat up with a defeated slump to his back, his usual nonchalant gaze looking more like a brain-dead starved zombie than the carefully tailored air of nonchalance he'd perfected like sixteen years ago. Or was it seventeen? It probably was. He was totally born this way. Like literally. Guardians didn't really do that every-seven-years-you-become-a-new-person thing that humans did. Stagnant emotions and personality and all that jazz. 

Course Jack thought it was utter BS and of course Jamie would disagree, but really who gave a flying _fuck_. It was eleven o'clock at night and why the hell were these late night extravaganzas becoming a pattern? He needed his sleep just as much as the next guy.

He could feel the bags forming under his eyes. He groaned. _I'm going to look like a ghoul tomorrow..._ He sat up. _Ah what the hell._

There were things his mom had left out of the Antiteton story. Important things. And maybe if he could find out what they were then he'd be that much closer to understanding a little about what had happened to Ethan when he was gone. Maybe then he'd be able to help without having talked to him.

So he decided he was going to go to his _favourite_ place in the whole wide world.

_The library!_

Yay!

(Do note the sarcasm. Jack was totally back in action.)

 

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

 

 ****Ethan lay in his bed tossing an old rubber-band ball into the air. Up. Down.  Catch. Pause. Up. Down. Catch. Pause. It was a lot like tossing one of his easter grenades, or using one of his trusty boomerangs. The ones lying dead on the floor around him, strewn around haphazardly and violently like in the aftermath of a tornado. Ethan caught the ball.

It was weird having human emotions. Somehow it was both more volatile and sporadic but at the same time, controlled and manageable. He supposed it was because humans felt so damn much all the time anyway.

The ex-guardian sighed and rolled onto his side, bringing his legs up to his chest and throwing the ball to the other side of the room. It bounced a few times before rolling to a stop.

Easter grenades lay chipped and gray on the ground like joyless lumps of coal, and on his desk, his stash of boomerangs rested, now nothing more than relics. The sight made him angry, but at what he wasn't entirely sure.

At first he thought he'd be happy coming home, sure he'd had some reservations leaving Pitch and of course he felt bloody awful about what he was going to have to do in order to survive, but now that he was here... he realized just how much he didn't want to be. It brought up too many memories. And too many lies festered just underneath the surface. He'd managed to squish it down for the most part, but now it came back full force. 

And scarily the hate wasn't aimed at Pitch and Gaea and Vanity and whatever the hell that other boys name really was, but at his family. He wasn't even truly angry per-se, he was _jealous_ of them. Jealous of their powers, jealous of their purpose. Jealous that he no longer fit in anywhere. 

Ethan rolled to the other side of his bed, facing the window. He'd managed to avoid talking about what'd happened to him tonight because Jamie was here, but by tomorrow, they'd know. They'd know for _sure_ just how damaged he was. They'd see the mess in his room and then they'd _know_.

Because he wasn't going to clean it up. No, he was going to leave it all out in the open: a mirror image of his broken heart.

Ethan rolled onto his back, draping an arm over his eyes. His hair fanning around his head like a gray halo. It fit didn't it? He was an angel losing his glow. Corrupted beyond repair...

A dull thump against the window jolted him out of his thoughts.

"What...?" He mumbled groggily, sitting up. Ethan tilted his head to the side. Nothing. Maybe he'd just imagined it...?

He lay back down. _Thmp!_ Ethan jerked back up into a sitting position, "seriously?' and reached blindly for the blinds, flinging them up, glaring heatedly out of them.

A boy, or rather young man, with slicked back black hair sat on the shingled roof in front of him staring up at the moon. Ethan blinked in surprise and scratched at his jaw, opening the window. Who the _hell_ was this guy?

"I do suppose it's... _pretty_ , in it's own way," the boy said still looking up at its shining surface. Ethan guessed his expression was probably one of grudging appreciation, though he couldn't imagine why. "I mean, that is if you're into swiss cheese night sky decor." 

The boy turned, looking pointedly at Ethan with a piercingly dark gaze. "I hear it's all the rage in Paris this year," he drawled waving a hand noncommittally through the air. Ethan sucked in a breath. He was _hot_. 

The boy smirked, and Ethan felt a shiver run down his spine. It was bloody _lethal_. A grin like a shark. "What's the matter, cat got your tongue?"

Ethan gaped like a fish, speechless. "Ummm," he managed. He was stuck and he knew the other lad knew it.

"'Ummm'," he mimicked face pulling down in an exaggeratedly dumb expression. "Very intelligent answer Ethan," he deadpanned, leaning his head against the edge of the window.

Ethan shook his head, looking at the lad with narrowed eyes. "Who are you?" he asked, crossing his arms. "And how do you know my name?"

The boy blinked and laughed. "Seriously?" He paused, glancing over at Ethan's unchanged expression and letting out a whistle, "wait you are serious aren't you?" He pulled at the hems on his clothing. "Do I really look all that different?" He wondered aloud.

Ethan's eyes narrowed a fraction more, brow furrowing with confusion. "I know you?"

The boy nodded. "Yep, right in here," he thumped his chest just above his heart pulling his shirt down and revealing a warped but still recognizable mark of the Diabolical Chain. "See? I know it's off of you since you're mortal now, but... it's still on me." He looked into Ethan's eyes pleadingly.

" _Pitch?!_ " He hissed out, eyes widening like saucers. "Holy shit, you're like...," Ethan paused, struggling to find the right words to use to describe his lovers new look. _God he was the devil in disguise._

Pitch raised his eyebrow, honestly all he needed was a pitch-fork and horns and the look would've been complete. A dangerously sensual and simply dangerous devil. "Sexy? Hot? Handsome? Dashing? Any of those fit the bill?"

"Uh, yeah," Ethan scratched his head, "you're... uh, devilishly handsome."

"Clever," Pitch nodded in approval, rubbing his hands together. "Sooo...."

"Soooo," Ethan mirrored, "what are you doing here? I haven't found anything out yet."

"Can't say hello now hmm?" Pitch mumbled looking skyward and rubbing the back of his neck, his head tilting to the side.

"Well _I_ can't say I think that's really the reason why you're here," Ethan said, "so out with it yeah?"

Pitch glanced back down at Ethan and sighed. "Well no... it's not... _but_ the real reason would, at least in part, piss you off and well we wouldn't want _that_ now would we?"

"Stop deflecting Black."

Pitch shrugged. "It's a gift."

"No it's not, your gifts include scaring the shit out little boys and girls and crushing their dreams in the process," Ethan said bluntly, "not misdirection."

"Ouch, I do love the high opinion you have of me," Pitch winced, "it's an acquired trait obviously." 

Ethan sighed and rubbed a hand over his face.

Pitch grimaced. "Suppose you can't fight your nature."

"Mmmm, guess you can--" Ethan's head jerked up, realization dawning in his eyes. "Who're you here to torment."

Pitch opened and closed his mouth. "Ethan--" he began.

" _Who."_ Ethan interjected, voice steely, "Jamie?"

"No!" Pitch said, emphatically shaking his head. "No. Not Jamie."

Ethan said nothing his jaw working silently.

Pitch sighed and ran his hand through his hair dark hair, looking back up at the moon. Ethan propped his head up on his elbows.

"Sophie," he finally mumbled after a minute, posture rigid, the tension rolling off him in waves.

"Wonderful." Ethan snorted derisively. "And I guess that's somehow better than Jamie."

"No, I-- I suppose not."

Ethan let out a breath, "then why are you here? The Bennett's live across the street."

"I know. I... I came to tell you something."

Ethan groaned and turned onto his back, his head hanging on the windowsill and looked up at Pitch. "What?" he asked, exasperated.

Pitch flinched and smoothed out the wrinkles in his coat. "Mother's getting impatient--"

Ethan sucked in a breath. He could still feel Gaea's grimy hands in his chest as she crushed his Immortality. "It's only been a day."

"I know, I know, I just... I thought," Pitch exhaled sharply and pulled at the roots of his hair and leaned forward, stopping just a breath away from where the window would be if it were closed. "I want you to be safe," he whispered. "I want that more than anything in the world. But I can't do that by myself, you have to be careful too."

Ethan closed his eyes. "Fuck," he could feel Pitches' breath against his lashes, so close but so far. " _Fuck._ " 

He could see her face. See how even her incorporeal form was menacing. How her very spirit could shake the earth. How her body flowed through color. That voice, echoing everywhere. That gaze like sharpened diamond. It was utterly, _she_ was utterly _terrifying._

Ethan opened his eyes, the irises shining with unshed tears, his hands quaking at his sides. He licked his lips. Took a shaky breath. 

"Kiss me."

Pitch blinked, looking down at Ethan, so close yet so far, separated by less than an inch of space but--

Pitch looked away. "I can't," he said, continuing before Ethan could speak. "I can't enter your house." He tentatively reached for the space between them, his hand ricocheting back as if burned. He sucked his finger into his mouth, wincing. "See? Perks of being an Antiteton," Pitch took his finger out of his mouth; the tip of it was black, "your parents sure are paranoid."

Ethan coughed."You're a fucking vampire."

Pitch glared. "I'd bite your neck if I could for that," he drawled, "Anyway, Vanity's definitely more of a vampire than I, she at least practices blood play."

Ethan raised his hands. "TMI."

"Besides, that inviting me in thing doesn't work either. Barrier," Pitch shrugged, "like I said, your parents are paranoid."

Ethan grinned, "fine, fine, but then... Scoot over."

"What?"

He rolled his eyes. "Just do it yeah?"

Pitch gave him a puzzled look, but complied and Ethan climbed out the window, situating himself across from the other man.

"Kiss me," Ethan said.

Pitch gulped, the look in Ethan's eyes smoldering in the pit of his belly. Full of heat and pain and longing and a need to forget everything. Of trust.

"Kiss me," he repeated, voice drifting down to something darker, raspier. Ethan inched closer and squeezed Pitches' thighs. "Kiss--"

"Fuck it," Pitch mumbled and tugged Ethan into his lap crashing their lips together.

Kiss him he did.

 

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

 

The family didn't take the news well. Not well at all.

Not that, that was a surprise.

The mother screamed. The father punched a hole through the wall, and the poor boy's sister burst into tears and ran up to her room. 

And he hadn't even told them how he'd died yet.

"H-how did it happen?" The mother, Jannette Syndney, asked behind a choked out sob a couple of minutes later, rubbing her red-rimmed eyes quickly with a trembling hand.

Argent Melentos rubbed his balding scalp. "We found him in the back of the school, he was... well--," his voice trailed off into silence.

"He was what?" 

The detective thumbed the edge of the manila folder in his hand awkwardly and looked up at ceiling. God he hated this part of the job."I-I don't think--"

"Tell us," Mr. Sydney, Adam Syndey, the father, forty-five and of a build that showed the beginning signs of aging, said in a surprisingly steady voice. He placed a large steadying hand on his wife's shoulder.

Argent blinked, taking in his tight-lipped frown and steely gaze, his slightly distended stomach, graying hair and wrinkles around the eyes, a bushy salt and pepper beard etc, etc--details Argent took in to level his nerves. He sighed, holding out the folder. It might not have been very professional, but he couldn't bring himself to go into the details himself. "Here."

Mr. Sydney reached out and took the folder, opening it stiffly and reading with the same expression of barely contained anger. Argent could see the exact moment he registered the pictures in the file, his eyes widened and blazed, knuckles whitening and crumpling the edges of the file. He threw it to the ground.

"That's what happened?" Sydney gritted out.

The detective nodded. "That's how we found him."

Jannette reached for the folder but stopped when she caught the look her husband sent her way. _You don't want to see,_ it said. She leaned into her husbands touch.

"Do you know who did it? Why?" She asked, she was still visibly shaken, this was a small town after all, things like murder just didn't hit Burgess, he knew the news would shake up everyone when they found out.

Argent shook his head, "I'm sorry, we don't, not yet, but we're working on it as we speak," he looked down at his watch and cleared his throat, "Well, I best be going, keep your kid in for the next couple of days, give yourselves some time to mourn. The school will be closed anyway for the investigation."

The Sydney's murmured their assent and with a curt nod, Melentos headed towards the door.

"I'll let you know when we hear anything new," he called over his shoulder, opening the door and letting in the biting winter air.

"Thank you," Jannette whispered.

Argent only nodded again and stepped outside, fisting his hands and shoving them in his pockets. "Just doing my job," he said into the night.

He made the trek back to his car.

 

 

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

 

Ethan and Pitch lay curled up on the roof of his house, staring up at the sky. Their hands were clasped tightly in each others, partly for warmth (since Ethan got cold just like any other human now) and partly because they liked the feel of each other in the others grasp, not that they'd ever admit it to the other. Just like Pitch would never admit to liking the feel of Ethan's hair between his fingers, stroking it like he was now.

"If you could...would you be...something...different?" Ethan asked rubbing the pad of his thumb against Pitchs' palm,"good?"

Pitch paused his ministration, "and I'm bad now?" Ethan shifted awkwardly but remained silent, he sighed. "I'm a force of nature, just like you are--were--. How does that make me any worse than you?"

The Ex-Guardian leaned up on his elbows, looking into Pitch's eyes. "But you hurt people."

"And you don't? Didn't? _Aren't_?" he raised an eyebrow and smiled sardonically. "Before you were human you gave people Hope. But what happened when they were disappointed? Didn't that hurt more than if they'd no expectation at all?" Pitch laughed and shook his head, "we aren't so different you know. You say I hurt them by giving them fear, by letting their darkest thoughts run free, but I say I help them, how else could they truly know what it was to hope? To feel relieved?" He paused. "We're one and the same--chaos andorder- _-not_ good versus evil. We don't strive to dominate the other, we seek to live in harmony." He started running his fingers through Ethan's hair again, and Ethan lay back down, humming contentedly. "At least we should."

"Your mother doesn't seem to think that."

Pitch sighed and closed his eyes. "Well Mother has...her reasons."

"Don't we all?"

"I suppose."

"Then what makes hers so much more important than mine? Than _yours_?" Ethan mumbled, nuzzling into Pitch's chest.

"Because she's Gaea, mother earth, she _is_ the Earth. You can't fight that. Not even me, even if I wanted to."

The Ex-Guardian was silent for a moment. "Why don't you try?" he whispered, "because you could you know, if you really wanted to," Ethan ran a finger down his chest, "you could make a change."

"Not if I don't want to die," he raised his hand towards the sky, the moonlight shining through the gaps between his fingers, "Which I don't, I might add. If Gaea was locked away I would be too--it's why I'm only just able to leave Sinister now that she's waking up. It's why I look the way I do--as she grows in power I do too. If she dies," he licked his lips, "I die," his brow furrowed, "no if's about it."

Ethan shivered. "Fuck," he wiggled out of Pitch's grasp and sat up, yanking at his hair, "I don't know what the bloody hell to do anymore."

Pitch sat up with a sigh. "Survive," he poked Ethan's nose, "just like I told you to." He looked back up at the moon and cracked his neck, then his knuckles.

"I should be getting on," he stood up, brushing the snow and dead leaves off his clothes, "your brother'd be done with his rounds by now," he held his hand out for Ethan. "And you should go to your father's library."

Ethan frowned standing up as well. "His library? Why?"

Pitch shrugged and stretched his back, "why not? You need to find Grandaddy Moon's hiding spot, and the sooner the better. Might as well start with a library, then your parents if you haven't asked already."

"I haven't."

"Then there you go, got yourself a working plan now," He leaned in and pecked Ethan on the lips. "Stay safe okay?" 

Ethan nodded and Pitch gave a little bow before calling the shadows to him and disappearing into the darkness. Ethan sighed, and rubbed his arms, shaking his head; it was cold. When did his life become a walking tragedy waiting to happen? Climbing in through the window he strutted over to his chest of drawers and looked for a change of clothes. When did his life become Romeo and Juliet? Or better yet Romeo and Julian?

Pulling on a long sleeved shirt and a sweater he felt around in his adjacent nightstand for one of his dad's handy snow-globes.

Guess he'd find out if they still worked now at least. 

 

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

 

Sophie dreamed fitfully, at least in part. The dreams always started the same. She was walking in a forest, the sun was shining and the wind a gentle caress on her bare arms, her family beside her. Jamie smiled and wore contacts instead of glasses, his hair pulled out of his face. In her dreams he was confident and sure--happy--the polar opposite to who he was in reality.

In her dream she was walking, and she felt... _joy_. She wore a bright yellow sundress, hemmed with white, a corded belt around her waist. Her hair was pulled back in a bun and on her feet were a cute pair of high-heels with the clasp of a golden butterfly right above her toes. It was wonderful. Ideal. Perfect.

But then it all turned to hell.

The river turned slick and oily, the trees dead and branches like burnt spindly bones sticking out of the ground like deformed claws. Her path, once full of grass and green and surity turned to dust, vanishing and with it her family.

"Help!" She cried, breaking into a run. "Help! Jamie?! Mom?! Dad?! Anyone?!"

The ground shook violently and the sky turned to black, a sinister laugh thrumming through the air around her. 

_Run, run, run, as fast you can, I will catch you, you're not the gingerbread man!_

The ground split and from it hands and sharps silver rocks. Sophie screamed and jerked hastily to the side, a fine spray of rock and dirt covering her body.

_Soph be nimble, Soph be quick, Better jump over that bloody stick!_

Again the ground shook and roots shot out of the earth, their skin covered in brambles and thorns.

Her eyes widened like saucers and she quickly crawled away, on her hands and knees. She ignored the pain in her hands. Ignored the bite of rocks scratching against her legs. Her chipped nails, and ripped dress, she just need to escape. She had to.

A bramble caught hold. 

A shrill cry left her lips.

"No! No! NO! HELP! SOMEONE HELP ME! SOMEONE PLEASE!"

_Ring around with pity, a pocket full of agony, ashes, ashes, Sophie falls down!_

The brambles dragged her down, pulled her towards the split in the ground, a coppery scent filling her nostrils. _Blood._ The pit was full of _blood._

"NOOOOO!"

Tears streaked her dirt smeared face, red finger shaped grooves in the earth. She was going to fall. She was falling, she couldn't hold on she was going to die, she was going to die, she was going to--

Suddenly from the distance another voice echoed in her mind. She couldn't understand the words but she understood the feeling, let it go, it told her. And she did.

Her dress billowed around her, her eyes closed. And the Earth fell away from her but she wasn't afraid. Not anymore. Because she wasn't Sophie Bennett. She opened her eyes, her skin was brown, her dress was made of shifting vines and her hair billowed like a fiery halo around her.

She was the Lady of the Deep.

She was Gaea.

And nothing could stop her now.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi all this is my first fic on this site and all...errr yeah I don't have an editor or anything sooo yeah if there are any spelling errors/grammar mistakes sorry bout that...anyone wanna volunteer to edit it GO AHEAD! I'd love you forever.


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